Implementation of Constitutional Court Decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024 and Its Impact on Democracy in the 2024 Regional Head Elections

Abstract

The problem of the threshold for regional head nominations in the Pilkada has so far been considered an obstacle to the principle of inclusive representation in local democracy. A threshold that is too high tends to benefit large parties, making it difficult for independent candidates and small parties to participate in political contests. This situation is the background to the issuance of the Constitutional Court Decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024, which provides a new interpretation of the provisions on the nomination threshold in the Pilkada Law. This study was conducted to examine how the decision was implemented and its impact on the democracy of the 2024 regional head elections, especially in creating more open and fair political opportunities at the local level. This study uses normative and sociological juridical methods with a qualitative approach, combining analysis of laws and regulations, Constitutional Court decisions, and interviews with various stakeholders such as the KPU, individual candidates, Bawaslu, and political party administrators in Southeast Sulawesi. Data were obtained through literature studies and direct interviews, then analyzed descriptively-qualitatively to assess the effectiveness of the implementation and challenges in implementing the Constitutional Court's decision in the regions.