Constitutional Court Meets with Algerian Constitutional Council
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Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto meeting with President of the Constitutional Council of Algeria Kemal Feniche on Thursday (5/9/2019). Photo by Humas MK/Helmi Kasim.

ALGERIA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI) Aswanto made an official visit to the President of the Constitutional Council of Algeria Kemal Feniche on Thursday (5/9/2019). During the visit, he forwarded a letter from Chief Justice Anwar Usman that expressed the Constitutional Court’s support for the Constitutional Council of Algeria to host the 5th Congress of WCCJ (World Conference of Constitutional Justice) in 2020 or 2021.

"We are ready to provide whatever support is needed, both as [the Constitutional Court] and as the Permanent Secretariat of the Association of Asian Constitutional Court and Equivalent Institutions (AACC)," said Aswanto.

Therefore, Justice Aswanto requested the support of the Algerian Constitutional Council for the the Constitutional Court of Indonesia for hosting the 6th WCCJ congress to be held in Bali. "Per communication and agreement that took place between the two institutions during the 4th WCCJ Congress in Lithuania in 2017, we again [confirmed] the commitment of both parties to support each other in volunteering to host the congress," he said.

Justice Aswanto also talked about the memorandum of understanding between the AACC and the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa (CCJA), which was signed in 2017. As a manifestation of the MoU, he revealed that MKRI intended to hold a conference of Asian-African Constitutional Courts. Initially, he added, the conference was planned for 2021, but due to the CCJA congress in the same year, MKRI planned it for the same year as the 6th WCCJ congress. "So that the countries present can simultaneously attend the WCCJ Congress and the Conference of Asian-African Constitutional Courts," he said.

Justice Aswanto also explained that MKRI had prepared an MoU draft to strengthen the relationship between MKRI and the Algerian Constitutional Council. "We hope you can observe it and then sign in Bali during ICCIS in 2019," he hoped.

He also discussed the results of the OIC (Islamic Cooperation Organization) conference in Istanbul, Turkey in December 2018. He elaborated on a number of recommendations agreed upon by the participants in the Istanbul Declaration. "It has been agreed that Algeria, Indonesia, Turkey, Gambia, and Pakistan were given the mandate as working committee of the establishment of the constitutional court association of OIC member countries. In relation to this, we are inviting the five countries to the Indonesia Constitutional Court International Symposium (ICCIS) in 2019 in Bali to discuss the results of the Istanbul Declaration," he said.

CCJA Meeting

After meeting with the Algerian Constitutional Council, the Deputy Chief Justice met with the Secretary General of the CCJA Mousa Laraba. Justice Aswanto requested confirmation of CCJA’s support for MKRI as host of the 6th WCCJ Congress.

"I would like to ask for support to mobilize the support of African member countries in the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdiction of Africa (CCJA) for MKRI volunteering as host of the 6th WCCJ congress, which we plan to hold in Bali Island," he said.

Justice Aswanto also reiterated that as a form of MoU between AACC and CCJA, MKRI took the initiative to hold a conference of Asian-African Constitutional Courts. For this reason, the MKRI requests support for the event in conjunction with the 6th WCCJ Congress in Bali in 2023 or 2024. (Helmi K/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti


Friday, September 06, 2019 | 17:23 WIB 229