A court has upheld a minimum age requirement of 30 for candidates in local elections, preventing President Joko Widodo's 29-year-old youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, from running for deputy governor of Central Java province in November.
Kaesang's party, the Indonesian Solidarity Party, told reporters on Friday that it was in the process of applying for a certificate proving he has never been convicted of a crime, a document needed to run in elections in Central Java province.
The court also lowered the bar for party representation in nominating candidates for local elections, a rule that would allow former presidential candidate and Widodo critic Anies Baswedan to run in November's Jakarta gubernatorial election.
But Indonesia's parliament on Wednesday proposed amendments to the election law that would nullify the court's ruling.
Parliament on Thursday put the proposed changes on hold for now following massive street and online protests. Deputy Speaker Sukhumi Dasko Ahmad told reporters that lawmakers had shelved plans to ratify the changes.
A protester in Jakarta punches police behind riot shields during a rally on Thursday. Photo: AP
Ray Rankuti, a political analyst at the Indonesian Civil Society Circle, said Thursday's protests were reminiscent of the 1998 student-led protests that prompted dictator Suharto to step down.
Lay said public resentment against Joko Widodo and his family was growing over his political ambitions and the protests would deal a blow to his popularity.
“It is very easy for people to see the recent actions of President Jokowi's family. People know that President Jokowi is now an ambitious man who wants to put his entire family in strategic positions in the country,” Lay told This Week in Asia, referring to Widodo's nickname.
As of June, President Joko Widodo's approval rating was 75.6 percent, according to pollster Litvan Kompas.
One X user posted a tweet teaching other users a spell that would hasten the “downfall” of President Widodo, going viral in a country where targeting others with spells and curses in all areas of life is common.
Lancuti said he and other civil society activists vowed to remain vigilant until Monday, when General Election Commission officials are due to appear before parliament for a public hearing.
Lancuti added that the House of Representatives may pressure Election Commission officials to ignore Tuesday's court ruling and align with Parliament's position on the Electoral Act.
12:48
A fresh start: Why is Indonesia building a new capital?
A fresh start: Why is Indonesia building a new capital?
Family luxury
Some members of Widodo's family have also drawn public ire for their lavish lifestyles.
President Widodo's daughter-in-law Elina Gudno recently posted photos of her and her husband Kesang vacationing in the United States, sparking outrage among internet users who pointed out that the family was having fun amid protests in Indonesia.
Gudno's photos show the couple eating a $25 brioche in California, while some Indonesian online users have called Elina the Indonesian Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France who was executed by guillotine in 1793. Her other photos show the family shopping in Venice and on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, as well as visiting the Philadelphia Eagles stadium.
Elina, who is in her third trimester of pregnancy, recently began a master's degree program at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy, where she is receiving a partial scholarship.
User @daughterofumar tweeted, “You know what hurts me even more? In the middle of all this, Kaesan's wife posted pictures on Instagram of her shopping for baby products in California and of her eating a 400,000 rupiah loaf of bread with Kaesan. Oh my goodness I really don't know anymore. I just know that Allah's punishment exists.”
Based on photos posted by Erina of the plane that took her family to the US, online sleuths speculated that the couple rented a Gulfstream G650 private jet, stopped off in Japan and landed in Los Angeles on Tuesday. One of them, X-user @ZakkiAmali, accused Kaesang of spending big money and living a lavish lifestyle.
Ujang Komarudin, a political analyst at Indonesia's Al Azhar University, said the online hostility toward Kasan and his wife underscores the resentment of many Indonesians facing economic hardship and cost-of-living issues. Ujang said the couple's vacation, seen as a luxury by Indonesians, may have been one of the factors that sparked Thursday's protests.
“People are struggling, many are unemployed and without work. The political elites are not on their side and this has angered them, sparking the demonstrations,” Ujan said.