Citizens Constitutional Rights in Elections: Public Participation, Freedom of Opinion, and Legal Limitation
Abstract
This study takes an in-depth look at citizens constitutional rights in the electoral process, which includes public participation and freedom of opinion, as well as how the restrictions are imposed by law. As the main pillar of democracy, elections function as a mechanism to realize the sovereignty of the people. However, its implementation is often faced with various legal challenges and in practice is also limited by these rights. So it becomes interesting to study and explain what the constitutional rights of citizens are in elections in Indonesia. This study uses a normative-juridical approach by reviewing laws and regulations, especially the 1945 Constitution, as well as the decisions of the Constitutional Court related to the fulfillment of the constitutional rights of citizens as the only state institution that interprets the constitution. The results of the analysis show that although the constitution guarantees the right to participate and express opinions, there are legal limitations that need to be carefully understood. These restrictions, such as bans on black campaigns, hate speech, and abuse of power, are necessary to maintain the integrity and order of elections, but at the same time they should not curb the basic rights of citizens. This study argues that fair and transparent law enforcement, as well as massive public education, are crucial to ensure that citizen constitutional rights can be optimally exercised without violating democratic principles.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26532/jph.v13i2.52341
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