Indonesia court to rule on appeal against order to delay elections

An Indonesian court was due on Tuesday to decide an appeal by the country's election commission against a controversial lower court order to delay 2024 presidential and general elections by two years.

Proceedings were underway on Tuesday at the Jakarta High Court ahead of the ruling on the appeal by the commission, or KPU, which could either ease or deepen uncertainty over whether the elections can go ahead as scheduled in February 2024.

The March 2 ruling by the Central Jakarta district court stunned politicians in Indonesia, after it ordered all election activities be stopped because of a complaint by an obscure party whose application to run was denied.

Many legal experts have said court overstepped its jurisdiction and the KPU has said it would forge ahead with preparations, despite the order.

The delaying of the polls has also stirred and older debate on whether President Joko Widodo should be allowed to stay in power longer than the maximum two, five-year terms permitted by the constitution, as some of his allies have advocated for.

Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, is in the final year of his second term and has said he is against extending terms and supports the election commission's appeal.

Another political party last week filed a similar lawsuit at the same district court against the KPU over its election procedures and is also seeking a delay in the vote, according to the court's website.