Indonesia's top court ruled on Wednesday that political parties do not need to have at least 20 percent representation in regional parliaments to field candidates.
But within 24 hours, Congress adopted an emergency resolution to reverse the change, a move that drew widespread condemnation and fears of a constitutional crisis.
A vote on a fast-track bill that would overturn some of the court's rulings was postponed Thursday because not enough lawmakers showed up.
If passed, it would maintain the status quo that favors parties in the ruling coalition of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his successor Prabowo Subianto. As a result, many local elections are expected to be uncontested.
The parliamentary decision also means that Anies Baswedan, a leading government critic, will be banned from running for the influential Jakarta governorship.
The Indonesian government is also seeking to circumvent a Constitutional Court ruling that would keep the current minimum age limit for candidates at 30, which would bar President Widodo's 29-year-old son, Kaesong Pangarep, from running in the Central Java regional elections.
President Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was sworn in as vice president, running alongside President Prabowo.
