ISTANBUL

Presidential and vice-presidential candidates in Indonesia under the age minimum of 40 can run only if they have held regional posts, the country's Constitutional Court ruled on Monday.

The ruling was on a motion filed by a university student challenging the country's 2017 general election law, which imposed a minimum age of 40 for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the online newspaper Jakarta Globe reported.

The court turned down a judicial review of the provision sought by the opposition Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), but granted an exception for elected officials.

The article mandates that a presidential or vice-presidential candidate must be either at least 40 years old or have experience in public office through general elections, as stressed by Chief Justice Anwar Usman at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta.

With five-to-four majority support among the justices, the decision will be in effect for the 2024 presidential election, issued just three days before the Southeast Asian nationGeneral Election Commission begins accepting registrations for presidential candidates and their running mates.

Indonesia is scheduled to hold concurrent presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 14 of the upcoming year.