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Constitutional Development and the Role of Democratic Advocacy: The Quo Vadis of General Elections in Indonesia

Indonesian Journal of Advocacy and Legal Services · Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 271–318

DOI
10.15294/ijals.v8i1.43471
ISSN
2686-2611, 2686-2085
Published
2026-06-08
Publisher
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

Abstract

The implementation of simultaneous national and regional elections in Indonesia in 2019 and 2024 revealed significant constitutional, administrative, and democratic challenges. These included excessive institutional burdens, diminished voter rationality, weakened regional political discourse, and severe humanitarian impacts on election administrators. These conditions culminated in Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024, which mandates the separation of national and regional elections beginning in 2029. This article critically examines the constitutional direction, democratic implications, and normative risks of this decision, particularly its role as an instrument of constitutional engineering within Indonesia’s presidential system. Employing prescriptive qualitative legal research, the study utilizes doctrinal analysis, comparative constitutional review, and content analysis of legal norms, court decisions, and scholarly literature. The findings indicate that while election separation has the potential to strengthen governability, enhance regional democratic focus, and improve electoral rationality, it simultaneously poses risks of constitutional change by stealth. This could potentially undermine the five-year election principle and democratic legitimacy if not carefully regulated. This research contributes by integrating constitutional law, theories of governability and governmentality, and democratic advocacy into a cohesive analytical framework that moves beyond procedural electoral reform. The study concludes that Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024 should be treated as a constitutional guideline rather than a substitute for formal amendment. Accordingly, it recommends legislative harmonization of election laws, strengthened civic advocacy, enhanced political education, and cautious institutional restraint to ensure that electoral reform advances substantive democracy without eroding constitutional integrity.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

40 authors · 185 co-authorship links · showing the 40 most connected

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Universitas Halu Oleo
  • State University of Semarang
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Waspiah WaspiahAffiliation unknown16
Dewi SulistianingsihState University of Semarang10
Ridwan ArifinAffiliation unknown8
Asnia ZainuddinUniversitas Halu Oleo7
Rahman RahmanAffiliation unknown7
Asmarani RamliAffiliation unknown7
Fithria FithriaUniversitas Halu Oleo6
Nurmaladewi NurmaladewiUniversitas Halu Oleo6
Slamet SumartoAffiliation unknown6
Dian LatifianiAffiliation unknown6
Lade Albar KalzaUniversitas Halu Oleo5
La Ode Ahmad SaktiansyahUniversitas Halu Oleo5
Saru ArifinAffiliation unknown5
Dani MuhtadaAffiliation unknown5
Nani YuniarUniversitas Halu Oleo4
Yusuf SabiluUniversitas Halu Oleo4
Lisnawaty LisnawatyAffiliation unknown4
Yasnani YasnaniUniversitas Halu Oleo4
Ruslan MajidUniversitas Halu Oleo4
Tegar Islami PutraAffiliation unknown4
Jafriati JafriatiUniversitas Halu Oleo3
Arum Dian PratiwiUniversitas Halu Oleo3
Ramadhan TosepuUniversitas Halu Oleo3
Elisabeth Yoseph SukariaAffiliation unknown3
Syawal Kamiluddin SaptaputraAffiliation unknown3
Jusniar Rusli AfaUniversitas Halu Oleo3
Lymbran TinaAffiliation unknown3
Natal KristionoAffiliation unknown3
Kartika Fajar CahyaniAffiliation unknown3
Adinda Ratna PertiwiAffiliation unknown3
MUHAMMAD SHIDQON PRABOWOAffiliation unknown3
Muhammad Iqbal BaiquniAffiliation unknown3
Nadiyah Meyliana PutriAffiliation unknown3
Ratih DamayantiAffiliation unknown3
Bayangsari WedhatamiAffiliation unknown3

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijals/oai, first harvested 5 Nov 2026, last seen 5 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Constitutional Development and the Role of Democratic Advocacy: The Quo Vadis of General Elections in Indonesia</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Nindito, Anom Suryo</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Rodiyah, Rodiyah</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Martitah, Martitah</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Suhadi, Suhadi</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Sujendro, Edy</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Constitutional Court Decision</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">General Elections</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Constitutional Engineering</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Indonesian Elections</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Civic Advocacy</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">The implementation of simultaneous national and regional elections in Indonesia in 2019 and 2024 revealed significant constitutional, administrative, and democratic challenges. These included excessive institutional burdens, diminished voter rationality, weakened regional political discourse, and severe humanitarian impacts on election administrators. These conditions culminated in Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024, which mandates the separation of national and regional elections beginning in 2029. This article critically examines the constitutional direction, democratic implications, and normative risks of this decision, particularly its role as an instrument of constitutional engineering within Indonesia’s presidential system. Employing prescriptive qualitative legal research, the study utilizes doctrinal analysis, comparative constitutional review, and content analysis of legal norms, court decisions, and scholarly literature. The findings indicate that while election separation has the potential to strengthen governability, enhance regional democratic focus, and improve electoral rationality, it simultaneously poses risks of constitutional change by stealth. This could potentially undermine the five-year election principle and democratic legitimacy if not carefully regulated. This research contributes by integrating constitutional law, theories of governability and governmentality, and democratic advocacy into a cohesive analytical framework that moves beyond procedural electoral reform. The study concludes that Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024 should be treated as a constitutional guideline rather than a substitute for formal amendment. Accordingly, it recommends legislative harmonization of election laws, strengthened civic advocacy, enhanced political education, and cautious institutional restraint to ensure that electoral reform advances substantive democracy without eroding constitutional integrity.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-06-08</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijals/article/view/43471</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/ijals.v8i1.43471</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Indonesian Journal of Advocacy and Legal Services; Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026): Legal Advocacy and Justice Innovation; 271-318</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2686-2611</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2686-2085</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/ijals.v8i1</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijals/article/view/43471/9700</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Anom Suryo Nindito, Rodiyah Rodiyah, Martitah Martitah, Suhadi Suhadi, Edy Sujendro (Author)</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>