The Constitutional Court (MK) ruling on separate organization for national and local elections is highly praised as a “critical milestone” in strengthening the country’s democratic system.

“This is a significant correction to the simultaneous ‘five-box’ election system introduced in 2019 and repeated in 2024, which has proven excessively burdensome for both election organizers and voters,” Executive Director of Democracy and Election Empowerment Partnership (DEEP) Indonesia, Neni Nur Hayati, spoke to Indonesia Business Post on Monday, August 8, 2025.

The ruling was issued in response to a judicial review filed by the Foundation of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem). In its ruling No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024, the court declared that elections for the president, vice president, House of Representatives (DPR), and Regional Representative Council (DPD) must no longer be held simultaneously along with local elections for governors, regents, mayors, and local councils.

Neni argued that holding five elections on the same day had overwhelmed voters, who struggled to make informed choices, while also forcing political parties to rely on instant and popularity-driven recruitment.

The group noted that the 2024 elections had already shown the risks of overlapping schedules, with legislative and presidential polls in February followed by local elections in November, leading to fatigue among both voters and political parties.

DEEP emphasized that the ruling requires urgent revisions to the Election Law and the Regional Election Law to ensure a clear two- to two-and-a-half-year gap between national and local polls, in line with the MK’s decision. Without legal clarity, the transition could trigger constitutional issues, particularly regarding the extension of local officials’ terms.

“The ruling cannot stand alone. Parliament must codify the changes to prevent new conflicts and guarantee inclusivity in the reform process,” Neni said, urging that civil society, marginalized groups, women, youth, and local communities be included in discussions.

DEEP also warned that separating elections will mean little if the system continues to be dominated by political elites and wealthy candidates. “This is an opportunity to restore meaningful local competition, but only if accompanied by reforms in candidate nomination, campaign finance, and political education,” Neni added.