The delivery of aid in Gaza was thrown into chaos on Saturday after an Israeli attack. Paramedics from the Red Crescent reported that 5 people died in the attack. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are currently in dire need of assistance after being bombarded by Israel for 6 months.
Construction of the new capital city of Indonesia, Nusantara, continues. Nusantara Capital City Authority - OIKN on Tuesday (26/3) launched the city's Biodiversity Management Master Plan. This is an effort to ensure that the development of the new national capital goes hand in hand with environmental preservation.
The Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) officially released the results of the 2024 election on March 20, 2024. However, the decision is still not binding because there are certainly parties who have objections to the 2024 election results announced by the KPU.
It is inevitable that disputes over election results will occur based on the KPU's announcement. Because, the resolution of this problem will lead to the Indonesian Constitutional Court (MK). Regarding this matter, the Constitutional Court registrar, Muhidin, as quoted on the court's website, said that the deadline for submitting applications for the 2024 simultaneous general election results dispute is no later than 3 x 24 hours from the general election's announcement. This time limit applies to requests for disputes over the results of the presidential & vice presidential election as well as the election of members of the house of representatives, namely People's Representative Council (DPR), Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD), and Regional Representatives Council (DPD).
Submission of dispute requests starts from 15 February until 23 March 2024, and then verification is carried out. The initial trial of the dispute will begin on March 27, 2024 and the verdict will be read on April 22, 2024. In the court's official statement, the Constitutional Court is given 14 working days to resolve disputes over the results of the presidential and vice presidential elections, and 30 working days to resolve disputes over the results of the legislative elections.
Meanwhile, regarding election disputes, member of the supervisory board of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Titi Anggraini, said that internal control and supervision should run effectively to spare no chance for judges involved in handling disputes over general election results carrying out transactional or deviant actions. Because, this could have a negative impact on the credibility and integrity of the Constitutional Court in the eyes of the public in handling disputes over the results of the 2024 elections.
The Constitutional Court is the final gateway in resolving democratic disputes in Indonesia. Neutrality, honesty, integrity, justice and propriety are very important in decision making. Negative influences in issuing decisions must be overcome by the court judges. They must avoid politics of revenge or pressure to change the outcome of the verdict. Besides, petitioners in election disputes must also be able to prove concrete and valid evidence to the Constitutional Court judges. So, what is proposed is a reality that must be resolved by the Constitutional Court in seeking a solution and to formulating an appropriate and fair verdict. However, if the Constitutional Court has decided the outcome of the dispute based on the evidence submitted and referring to the applicable rules/law, the losing party must be ready to accept it sincerely.
The UN security council again failed to make a peace resolution in Palestine. Finally, the United States (US) on Friday (22/3) submitted a draft, stating that the Security Council would support the importance of an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and, for the first time, condemned Hamas attack on October 7.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Australia on Wednesday (20/3). The meeting with Albanese was part of Wang Yi's working visit to Australia.
South Korea would host the 3rd Summit for Democracy on March 18-20, 2024 under the theme "Democracy for Future Generations".
Israel continues to launch deadly military attacks on the Gaza Strip and has shown no signs of ending, amid condemnation from the international community. Even during the month of Ramadan, when the Palestinian Muslim population is fasting, Israel has no intention of reducing, let alone stopping, the intensity of its attacks. Israel's war has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children and left more than 73,000 people injured amid mass destruction and shortages of basic necessities.
March in Indonesia this year is very interesting, since the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims begins, along with the Saka New Year and celebration of Nyepi, or Day of Silence, for Balinese Hindus.
After more than a month of halting their funding, Sweden and Canada agreed to resume their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi proposed that there will be an international body that regulates artificial intelligence (AI) under the United Nations (UN). In a press conference on "China's Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Policy" in Beijing on Thursday (7/3/2024), he said that China prioritizes three things regarding the development of AI: firstly ensuring AI benefits the general welfare of humanity, secondly, ensuring safe use so that AI is always under human control, and thirdly, ensuring the establishment of an international governance body for AI under the UN framework that allows all countries to participate in and benefit equally from AI development.