Indonesia: Top Judge Demoted Over Ruling That Favoured President’s Son

A judicial panel in Indonesia has demoted the country’s top judge after finding him guilty of a conflict of interest in a ruling last month that allowed President Joko Widodo’s son to run for Vice President.

Anwar Usman, who is the President’s brother-in-law, was found guilty of a “gross violation” of the court’s ethics code for failing to recuse himself from the court’s decision on age limits for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The ruling, with a five-four majority, paved the way for Widodo’s 36-year-old eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run for Vice President alongside Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.

Anwar “was proven to have violated judges’ ethical code specifically the principle of neutrality and integrity as he did not recuse himself”, the ethics panel found.

It said, without elaborating, that Anwar “had purposely opened a room for intervention from an external party” and thus had “violated the principle of independence”.

The panel, which cannot change the outcome of the case, said Anwar could remain one of the court’s nine judges but must not take part in any election cases in which he could have a conflict of interest.

The panel was asked to investigate the conduct of judges amid a public outcry after they ruled a minimum age requirement of 40, need not apply to election candidates who had previously held elected office.

The ruling was made just days before the start of registration for the 2024 election.

ALJAZEERA