The ruling hearing for the judicial review of Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections for case No. 162/PUU-XXIII/2025, Thursday (10/16/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) handed down a decree to approve the withdrawal of the judicial review petition of Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections. The Court declared the petition No. 162/PUU-XXIII/2025 withdrawn.

The Decree No. 162/PUU-XXIII/2025 was delivered by Chief Justice Suhartoyo at a ruling hearing on Thursday, October 16, 2025 in the plenary courtroom. The petition was filed by anda Yuniza Eviani and Muhammad Rafli Nur Rahman (Petitioners I and II). The Court has received their petition and their subsequent request to withdraw the petition, along with the reason. The letter requesting the withdrawal was confirmed by the Petitioners at the second hearing.

“Based on the justice deliberation meeting (RPH) on October 2, 7, 9, and 13, [the constitutional justices] observed that the withdrawal request was warranted. As such, the Petitioners cannot re-file the same petition. [The constitutional justices] have also ordered the Chief Registrar to record the withdrawal in the electronic constitutional case registration book (e-BRPK) and to return the petition’s copies to the Petitioners,” said Chief Justice Suhartoyo delivering the decree on the petition a quo against Article 240 paragraph (1) letter e of Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections.

Also read:

Petitioners Demand Bachelor’s Degree for Legislative Candidates

Petition on Education Requirement for House Member Candidates Withdrawn

The case No. 162/PUU-XXIII/2025 was filed by Nanda Yuniza Eviani and Muhammad Rafli Nur Rahman (Petitioners I and II). They challenge Article 240 paragraph (1) letter e of the Election Law, which stipulates: “Prospective candidates for the DPR, provincial DPRD, and regency/city DPRD must be Indonesian citizens and fulfill the following requirements: … e. have completed at least senior high school, Islamic senior high school, vocational high school, Islamic vocational high school, or other equivalent schools….”

Intellectual Capacity

At the preliminary hearing on Monday, September 22, Muhammad Rafli Nur Rahman said the norm requiring only a high school education for parliamentary candidates is disproportionate to the constitutional authority vested in the legislature, which holds the power to make laws. Such a minimal requirement, he argued, fails to ensure adequate intellectual capacity, analytical ability, and legislative competence. As a result, the legislative function, which should produce responsive, visionary, and people-oriented regulations, risks yielding weak, overlapping, discriminatory, and socially negligent laws.

“If judges, prosecutors, and advocates—professions that merely interpret the law—are required to hold a university degree, is it reasonable that lawmakers need only a high school diploma? Allowing this to stand degrades, even reduces, the dignity of Article 20 paragraph (1) of the Constitution to a minimalist threshold,” emphasized Nanda Yuniza Eviani. 

Shadow of Fragile Legislation

The Petitioners expressed deep concern over the frequent enactment of flawed legislation by the DPR and DPRD, much of which has been repeatedly annulled by the Constitutional Court. This, they argued, is not simply a technical weakness but clear evidence that citizens, including themselves, are forced to live under fragile, inconsistent laws that fail to provide protection. As a result, constitutional rights guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution—such as the right to proper education, affordable healthcare, a healthy environment, and equitable social welfare—have been neglected.

The provision in Article 240 paragraph (1) letter e, requiring only a high school education for legislative candidates, they argued, is at the root of this problem. It has reduced parliament to little more than an arena of popularity contests and political transactions rather than a forum of intellect and integrity.

Accordingly, the Petitioners asked the Court to declare Article 240 paragraph (1) letter e of Law No. 7 of 2017 on General Elections (State Gazette of the Republic of Indonesia Year 2017 No. 182, Supplement No. 6109) conditionally unconstitutional and without binding legal force, unless interpreted to mean “at least a bachelor’s degree (S-1) or equivalent.” 

Author       : Sri Pujianti
Editor        : N. Rosi
PR            : Raisa Ayuditha M.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian versions, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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