Indonesian Constitutional Court Rejects Challenge to Ministers Holding Party Positions

Jakarta, MINA – The Constitutional Court (MK) has rejected a judicial review petition challenging the prohibition against ministers simultaneously serving as political party officials. The petition was filed by four students from the University of Indonesia (UI).

Chief Justice Suhartoyo read out the verdict, Decision Number 35/PUU-XXIII/2025, during a plenary hearing at the Constitutional Court’s courtroom in Jakarta on Thursday. In its ruling, the Court declared the petitioners’ request inadmissible due to a lack of legal standing.

“The petitioners’ request cannot be accepted,” Suhartoyo stated while reading the verdict.

The petition was submitted by Stanley Vira Winata, Kaka Effelyn Melati Sukma, and Keanu Leandro Pandya Rasyah from the UI Faculty of Law, along with Keanu Leandro Pandya Rasyah from the UI Fiscal Administration Department. They sought to challenge the constitutionality of Article 23 letter c of Law Number 39 Year 2008 concerning the State Ministry.

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The article states that “Ministers are prohibited from holding concurrent positions as: leaders of organizations financed by the State Budget and/or Regional Budgets.” The petitioners argued that this provision does not include a ban on ministers serving as political party officials.

Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, in his deliberation, emphasized that the petitioners failed to demonstrate a direct link between the challenged article and their constitutional rights, whether as citizens, students, or activists.

“The Court finds that the petitioners have no institutional relation whatsoever with any particular political party,” Saldi said.

He added that the alleged constitutional harm claimed by the petitioners was deemed non-specific and lacked a clear connection to the enforcement of the law being challenged.

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Consequently, the Constitutional Court rejected the entirety of the judicial review petition submitted by the UI students. [Shibgho]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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