Registration deadline for presidential candidates moved earlier to late October

File picture of an official preparing ballot boxes at the Tanah Abang district branch of the General Elections Commission in Jakarta in 2019. - The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): Political parties may have to rush their decisions on presidential and vice-presidential nominations after policymakers and the election organising body agreed to move up the registration deadline to late October from late November.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) secured on Wednesday (Sept 20) endorsements from House of Representatives Commission II overseeing home affairs and the Home Ministry to reschedule the registration window for presidential and vice-presidential candidates from Oct 19 through Nov 25 to Oct 19-25.

This also cuts the time for candidates to register from five weeks to one. Initially, the KPU had planned to reschedule the registration window for presidential and vice-presidential candidates to Oct 10-16, but this proposal was turned down by lawmakers during a closed-door preliminary session among policymakers on Tuesday.

Ever since the KPU planned a date change earlier this month, political parties have been intensifying talks to finalise their electoral alliances and nominations. Alliance building now appears to have crystallised into three electoral blocs but political parties are still struggling to settle on running mates.