Chaos erupts in Indonesia over election bill

Street protests erupted across Indonesia on Thursday as citizens vented their anger over a proposed election bill that many fear will bolster President Joko Widodo’s political dynasty.

A protest outside the parliament building in Jakarta turned violent as more than 2,000 demonstrators set fire to tyres and attempted to force their way into the complex.

Police in riot gear confronted those who managed to breach the metal barricades, while smoke billowed from burning tyres.

In the city of Semarang, police fired tear gas and water cannon to quell a crowd trying to force their way to the local legislative council’s building.

Similar rallies took place in several other Indonesian cities. The cause of the anger was an election bill being debated in parliament.

Lawmakers had taken up the bill a day after the Constitutional Court ordered a revision to the requirements for political parties to nominate candidates in regional elections.

The court’s ruling was aimed at preventing large parties from dominating the electoral process at local levels, opening the political landscape to smaller parties and independent candidates.

But the parliament, dominated by parties supporting Joko and his successor Prabowo Subianto, immediately drafted a bill to overturn the court’s ruling.

Prabowo is currently president-elect and will take office in October.