Jakarta. The House of Representatives (DPR) postponed the plenary session scheduled for Thursday to pass the Regional Elections Bill (RUU Pilkada). DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad explained that the delay occurred because the number of attending members did not meet the quorum requirement.

"Only 89 members were present, with 87 others excused. As a result, we will reschedule the Steering Committee  meeting to set a new time for the plenary session since the quorum was not met," Dasco said at the DPR building.

Dasco also emphasized that according to DPR's rules of procedure, the plenary session must meet the quorum requirement.

"Even after a 20-minute recess, the number of attendees still did not reach the quorum," Dasco added at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Thursday.

"As such, the session cannot proceed," Dasco asserted.

Dasco has not yet confirmed when the postponed plenary session will be rescheduled.

A total of 2,975 police and military personnel were deployed to secure protests at key locations in Jakarta, including the DPR building, the Arjuna Wijaya Statue, the Constitutional Court (MK), and Merdeka Palace on Thursday.

The protests are part of the "Indonesia Emergency Alert" movement, which gained momentum on social media after the DPR dismissed recent Constitutional Court (MK) rulings.

On Tuesday, the MK lowered the electoral threshold to 6.5-10 percent of valid votes, allowing parties to nominate candidates without a coalition. However, the DPR, excluding PDI-P, ruled that this only applies to non-parliamentary parties, limiting candidate options for the November election.

The DPR also ignored the MK's ruling on the minimum age for regional leaders, opting instead for a Supreme Court decision setting the age at 30 years. This change could enable PSI Chairman Kaesang Pangarep, President Joko Widodo's son, to participate in the 2024 regional elections despite earlier concerns about his age eligibility.

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