THE CONCEPT OF RE-DEMOCRACY IN THE ANALYSIS OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION NO. 135/PUU-XXII/2024 AND THE DISCUSSION OF CLOSED PROPORTIONALITY

Abstract

Re-democracy is an idea to revive a more substantial democracy by emphasising people's representation, public
participation, and strengthening deliberative spaces. Therefore, this study is important to see the opportunities
for reconstructing Indonesia's political system to be more representative and inclusive. This research uses a
normative juridical approach by analysing Constitutional Court Decision Number 135/PUU-XXII/2025 and
public discourse on the closed proportional election system. The ruling separates national and local elections by
a minimum interval of two years, based on technical complexity, personal and institutional fatigue, and
declining voter participation in simultaneous elections. This policy has reignited the debate on closed
proportional representation, which is considered capable of restoring the essence of substantive democracy
through the mechanism of aggregating the aspirations of the people. This research identifies the legal, political,
and social consequences of Constitutional Court Decision Number 135/PUU-XXII/2024 and the discourse on the
return of the closed proportional system, as well as the issues and efforts to realise the aggregation of public
aspirations through re-democracy. The purpose of this research is to examine the legal and political
implications of the Constitutional Court's decision and the debate on the closed proportional system ahead of the
2029 elections in order to strengthen re-democracy. Thus, Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-
XXI/2024 and the discourse on closed proportional representation reflect the need for re-democracy to
strengthen the aggregation of public aspirations in building a more representative and substantive political
system.