Candidate pair for Regent and Vice of Talaud Islands, North Sulawesi, AKBP Dr Ramon Amiman-Martin L. Maabuat (RAMA), taking the individual or independent way filed a case against the recapitulation result of Talaud announced by the General Election Commission of Talaud Islands Regency on November 3, 2008 to the Constitutional Court. The initial trial for the case was held on Monday (17/11) night at the Constitutional Court Building, Jakarta.

In the trial scheduled for examining the Petition, candidate pair Amiman-Maabuat represented by their Legal Counsel, Romeo Tumbel, S.H, dkk., informed the Constitutional Board of Justices  that the Election Commission as the organizer of the election had done a vote marking-up in the process of recapitulation. Candidate pair No. 2 considered the Commission s action as bloating the vote for Candidate pair No.4, Elly E. Lasut-Constantine Ganggali. As the result, the Petitioners votes went down to as many as 29.19 percent, meanwhile the votes for Lasut-Ganggali, having been announced as the winner, became 60.59 percent.

“The Petitionees have bloated the votes by participating illegal voters, they are voters who have passed away, underage voters, and voters who are not listed in the Fixed Voters List,” said Romeo.

However the claim was rebutted by the Head of Talaud Election Commission Djekmon Amisi. Djekmon accompanied by the Commission s Legal Counsel Semik Mananoma, S.H. the Commission considered the Petitioners claim as not having ground because when the counting process was held, all witnesses from each candidate including the Petitioners had signed the Transcript of Proceeding and there were no objection on the recapitulation result. Consequently, the Election Commission considered the announcement of the result had been according to the existing regulations.

The Commission s Legal Counsel, Semik Manamoa also added that the gap between the votes for candidate No. 4 and Candidate No. 2 was not a mark-up in the total number of votes. “The recapitulation was based on the achievement of each candidate pair,” added Semik.

Talaud Election Commission as the Petitionees even considered the Petitioners claim was not an object of dispute over Regional Election result as regulated by Act on Regional Government No. 32/ 2004. Therefore, said Semik, “the Constitutional Court have to declare that the Petitioners claim is unacceptable.”

Before, the Constitutional Board of Justice lead by H.M. Akil Mochtar demanded the Petitioners to prepare their valid evidences to support their claim. “The Petitioners have to prove in detail in which Voting Center the vote mark-up took place,” reminded Akil.

The trial would be continued on Thursday (20/11) scheduled to examine evidences and hearing information from witnesses. [ardli]

Foto: Dok. Humas MK/Yogi Dj
Translated by Yogi Djatnika / MK