Chief Justice Will Not Resign After Marrying President's Sister

TheIndonesia.id - Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia Anwar Usman will not step down from his position after marrying President's younger sister. According to him, marriage is a religious order.

This was conveyed by Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman during an event at the General Stadium of the Sharia Faculty of Islamic State Institute of Pekalongan in a video broadcast on the YouTube of the Constitutional Court, Friday, March 25, 2022.

"I just planned to continue the rest of my life after my late wife left me. Likewise, the candidate I will marry, left by her beloved husband," said Anwar Usman.

Furthermore, Anwar Usman revealed that there was pressure for him to step down as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court and also a constitutional judge after marrying Jokowi's sister. He revealed that marriage is a decree from Allah SWT. Marriage is a religious order as stated in the Qur'an Surah An-Nisa verse 3.

"It is God's absolute right to determine that A is married to B, B is married to A, I am with anyone. No one can stop it," said Anwar Usman. "One of God's absolute rights that determines a mate, a continuation mate or a first mate, the same, God will determine. Then when carrying out God's orders, away from God's prohibition, certain people ask to resign from a position, do I have to disobey Allah's decree? No."

Anwar Usman also emphasized that his integrity and independence as a constitutional judge and Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court will not change after marriage. "Then whether I marry a certain person, then my integrity as a constitutional judge, or as a Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court will change? Until the end of the world, Anwar Usman will obey God's commands," he said.

For Anwar Usman, marriage is also protected by the 1945 Constitution so that his human rights cannot be contested. "Do I have to sacrifice to give up my human rights as regulated in Article 28b paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution, the right to develop a family? Likewise, Article 29 paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution guarantees that all citizens have the same rights, including me," he said.

Anwar Usman was very surprised that people associate his marriage with politics and his wedding plan becomes trending topics or conversations in the community and the mass media.

Previously, constitutional law expert Margarito Kamis suggested that Anwar should step down from his position not only as of the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court but also as a constitutional judge after marrying Jokowi's younger sister.

"With all my respect to Mr. Usman, that is his right (to marry) as a human being. I think that the best option for him is to leave that position, not only as of the chief justice but as a constitutional judge," said Kamis.

Kamis said that the suggestion for Usman to step down from the Constitutional Court after marriage was because the Court was adjudicating the law which is an act of the President and the House of Representatives. So, Margarito said, it is difficult to ask Anwar to be objective.

"Why? What is being judged from day to day is the act of the president. The law is the act of the president together with the House of Representatives. It is too difficult for us to ask Mr. Usman to present his objectivity as he is the brother-in-law of the president who made the law," he said.