Thousands attempt to storm Indonesia parliament to protest election law changes
NBCAug 19
Indonesia Postpones Election Law Changes After Attempts to Storm Parliament
Above: Students gathered in protest against the reduction in fuel subsidies by the Indonesian government on Sept. 6, 2022 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Image copyright: Robertus Pudyanto/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Lawmakers in Indonesia have halted the ratification of changes to election laws and postponed deliberations until the next parliament begins, Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad announced on Thursday after the plenary session did not meet the quorum.
This means that the proposed overhaul will not apply under the administration of Pres. Joko Widodo, who leaves office on Oct. 20 to be replaced by president-elect Prabowo Subianto, or to regional elections in November.
The Spin
Narrative A
Demonstrations were key to ensuring that public rationality remains in place and the protests prevent the ratification of these undemocratic changes to election laws in Indonesia. Given that rulings of the Constitutional Court are final and binding, lawmakers must implement them instead of pushing for an overhaul.
Narrative B
While there's indeed a correlation between nationwide student protests on Thursday and the decision to postpone the ratification of the election law changes, the main reason for the delay was the lack of quorum. As candidate registration begins on Tuesday, it would be inadequate to raise the issue again next week.