Conflict of Authority in Election Disputes: The Shift from the Constitutional Court to Party Courts in Indonesia

Conflict of Authority in Election Disputes: The Shift from the Constitutional Court to Party Courts in Indonesia

Authors

  • Paulus Titaley Doctoral Program of Law, Faculty of Law, Pattimura University
  • Marthinus Johanes Saptenno Doctoral Program of Law, Faculty of Law, Pattimura University
  • Hendrik Salmon Doctoral Program of Law, Faculty of Law, Pattimura University
  • Saartje Sarah Alfons Doctoral Program of Law, Faculty of Law, Pattimura University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15575/kh.v7i3.51367

Keywords:

Popular Sovereignty, Constitutional Court, Party Court, Authority Shift, Election Result Disputes

Abstract

The general election process in Indonesia faces serious challenges related to the resolution of election disputes. The transfer of authority to resolve election disputes from the Constitutional Court to the internal Party Court has created legal uncertainty and threatens the democratic process. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of this transfer of authority on people's sovereignty and the integrity of the legal system in Indonesia. This study uses a normative legal method, focusing on applicable legal provisions and legal principles to analyze the implications of this shift in authority. This study finds that the transfer of authority to resolve election disputes to the internal Party Court has created conflicts with the decisions of the Constitutional Court, thereby threatening the principles of accountability and transparency that are essential in democracy. Furthermore, this study also finds that internal political party interests often override constitutional principles. This study concludes that legal and political reforms are necessary to ensure fair resolution of election disputes and maintain democracy in Indonesia. The Constitutional Court must play a crucial role again in resolving election disputes to maintain public trust in the democratic process in Indonesia. Thus, the principles of accountability, transparency, and people's sovereignty can be upheld.

References

Aulia, E., Isra, S., & Yuslim. (2024). The conception of people’s sovereignty in Indonesia: Mohammad Hatta’S thought approach. Petita: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Hukum Dan Syariah, 9(1), 146–163. https://doi.org/10.22373/petita.v9i1.221

Beckman, L. (2021). Popular sovereignty facing the deep state. The rule of recognition and the powers of the people. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 24(7), 954–976. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2019.1644583

Berg, E., & Kuusk, E. (2023). What makes sovereignty a relative concept ? Empirical approaches to international society. Political Geography, 29, 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2010.01.005

Besson, S. (2011). Sovereignty, international law and democracy. European Journal of International Law, 22(2), 373–387. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chr029

Bima, M. R., & Saputra, I. E. (2022). Implication of the constitutional court ruling on the binding character of the election organizer ethics council decision. Daengku: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Innovation, 2(6), 769–776. https://doi.org/10.35877/454ri.daengku1363

Borz, G. (2017). Justifying the constitutional regulation of political parties : A framework for analysis. International Political Science Review, 38(1), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512116638543

Botelho, C. S., & Garoupa, N. (2023). Regulating parties by constitutional rules in liberal democracies. German Law Journal, 24, 1648–1676. https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2023.117

Brooks, T. (2006). Plato , Hegel , and Democracy. Bulletin of the Hegel Society of Great Britain, 27(1–2), 24–50.

Budianto, A. (2020). Legal research methodology reposition in research on social science. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 20(9), 1339–1346. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2020.09.154

Cannizzaro, E., Fisicaro, M., Napoletano, N., & Rasi, A. (2023). Are the EU member states still sovereign states ? the perspective of international law. European Papers, 8(3), 1629–1643. https://doi.org/10.15166/2499-8249/733

Christiani, T. A. (2016). Normative and empirical research methods: their usefulness and relevance in the study of law as an object. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 219, 201–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.006

Darmanto, A., Wahyuningsih, E., & Maruf, U. (2023). Internal disputes settlement of political parties by party courts in Indonesia. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 13(2), 342–349. https://doi.org/10.29322/ijsrp.13.02.2023.p13441

Economides, N. (2024). The issue of legitimacy of the political authority in modern states. Open Journal of Political Science, 14, 374–391. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojps.2024.143022

Eze, Bernard, I., & Umar, K. (2014). Authority, power, and conflict in organization: analysis of the impact of their functional relationship in organization performance. European Journal of Business and Management Www.Iiste.Org ISSN, 6(22), 174–184. www.iiste.org

Fahmi, K., Isra, S., Muchtar, Z. A., & Hilaire, T. (2019). The role of the law in safeguarding electoral democracy in Indonesia. Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues, 22(2), 1–6.

Ferrer, S., Hernández, E., Prada, E., & Tomic, D. (2025). The value of liberal democracy: Assessing citizens’ commitment to democratic principles. European Journal of Political Research, 2018–2038. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.70021

Firmansyah, & Budiyono. (2022). The role of constitution in a democratic system and human rights protection in Indonesia. Pancasila and Law Review, 5(1), 39–46.

Is, M. S., Sobandi, S., Hayatuddin, K., Suharyono, S., Saputra, J. A., & Mohamad, A. B. Bin. (2023). The Principle of democracy and participation in making village regulations as an effort to develop a just village. Jurnal Hukum Dan Peradilan, 12(3), 489. https://doi.org/10.25216/jhp.12.3.2023.489-516

Kabo, P. (2022). Democracy as misunderstanding between freedom and anarchy. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 11(2), 230–247. https://doi.org/10.36941/ajis-2022-0048

Karolcik, s., Steiner, J., & cipkova, E. (2025). Politics and political literacy in education from the perspective of the public. Cogent Education, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2457560

Lesmana, I., Ardiansah, & Azmi, B. (2022). The final power of the decision of the constitutional court in indonesian positive law. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 5(1), 1765–1775.

MacDonald, T. (2018). Sovereignty, democracy, and global political legitimacy. The Oxford Handbook of International Political Theory, 400–413. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198746928.013.29

Makovetska, N., Dubov, G., Didych, T., Malyshev, B., & Varych, O. (2024). Global challenges to state sovereignty in the 21st century. Salud, Ciencia y Tecnologia - Serie de Conferencias, 3, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.56294/sctconf2024.661

Mcgrew, T. (2010). Globalization : A Critical Introduction. New Political Economy, 6(1), 293–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563460120060661

Metzger, G. E., & Stack, K. M. (2017). Internal administrative law. Michigan Law Review, 115(8), 1239–1307. https://doi.org/10.36644/mlr.115.8.internal

Morrone, A. (2021). Political Sovereignty and Its Enemies. Athena, 1(1), 1–36.

Murphy, A., & Stoica, A. (2015). Sovereignty: Constitutional and Historical Aspects. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov Series VII: Social Sciences, 8(2), 219–226.

Mustika, D., D, M. D. F. A., Sekar, S., & Kulsum, D. (2024). analysis of the authority of the constitutional court in general election result dispute cases ( study of constitutional court ruling number 1 / PHPU . PRES- XXII / 2024 AND 2 / PHPU . PRES-XXII / 2024 ). Pranata Hukum, 19(1), 166–174.

Nggilu, N. M., Ismail, D. E., Sulistyowati, T., & Moha, M. R. (2023). Constitutional crisis: intensifying disobedience to the decisions of the indonesian constitutional court. Revista Chilena de Derecho, 50(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.7764/R.502.5

Oji, E. A., & Ozioko, M. V. C. (2012). Effect of Globalization on Sovereignty of. The Legislative and Institutional Framework of Environmental Protection in the Oil …, 256–270. http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations/realism.htm, p. 1

Oniszczuk, J. (2015). The concept of the State of Law. Studia z Polityki Publicznej, 2(6), 57–77. https://doi.org/10.33119/kszpp.2015.2.3

Pickel, G., & Pickel, S. (2024). Empirical legitimacy as core of comparative democracy research. Frontiers in Political Science, 5, 1–21.

Rohman, M. M., Mu’minin, N., Masuwd, M., & Elihami, E. (2024). Methodological reasoning finds law using normative studies (theory, approach and analysis of legal materials). MAQASIDI: Jurnal Syariah Dan Hukum, December, 204–221. https://doi.org/10.47498/maqasidi.v4i2.3379

Sari, R. I., Hidayat, H., & Sari, R. (2023). The role of the constitutional court in resolving election disputes from the perspective of justice. International Journal of Sociology, Policy and Law, 4(2), 113–128.

Septian, I. F., & Abdurahman, A. (2021a). Legal status of law elucidation in the indonesian legislation system. Padjadjaran Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 8(1), 92–120. https://doi.org/10.22304/pjih.v8n1.a5

Septian, I. F., & Abdurahman, A. (2021b). Status hukum penjelasan undang-undang berdasarkan sistem peraturan perundang-undangan Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan, 51(3), 803–826. https://doi.org/10.21143/jhp.vol51.no3.3136

Suparto, S., Chaidir, E., Ardiansyah, A., & Santos, J. G. (2023). Establishment of electoral court in indonesia: problems and future challenges. In Journal of Indonesian Legal Studies, 8(2), 501-544. https://doi.org/10.15294/jils.v8i2.72316

Susanti, B. (2017). The constitutional court and democracy in Indonesia. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 53(1), 97–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2016.1239310

Syafriadi, & Santri, S. H. (2025). Degenerative system of popular sovereignty by political parties through the instrument of the recall rights. Prophetic Law Review, 7(1), 47–69.

Tatar, R. G., & Moisi, A. (2022). The concept of sovereignty. Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, 24, 292–303.

Tornquist, O. (2010). Introduction research-based democracy promotion: lessons from Indonesia. PCD Journal, 2(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.22146/pcd.25717

Zarkasi, A., Putra, F., Putra, D. syufradian, & Abdullah Asuhaimi, F. binti. (2025). Indonesia’s 2024 election: constitutional court perspectives on electoral violations. Sriwijaya Law Review, 9(2), 372–398. https://doi.org/10.28946/slrev.v9i2.4584

Downloads

Published

2025-12-17
Loading...