The Constitutional Court held the second trial for Election Dispute case in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (27/11), in the Constitutional Court Room. The case was filed by candidate pair Herson Tanuab, S.H. and Ir. Vivo Henu Ballo (Pasangan Hallo) against the Kupang Election Commission (the Petitionee).

In the trial, Hallo pair made a claim on the Plenary Session Result of the Kupang Election Commission that announced Tutor pair as the elected candidate. Besides that, the Petitioner demanded the Justice Board to grant their provision concerning the suspension of second round election due to the mistake in the counting process by the Kupang Election Commission, before the Decision was made.

”Apart from that, we also ask for a recounting, at least in areas where the mistake in the counting happen,” demanded Hallo Legal Counsel, Gabriel Suku Kotan.

According to Hallo, there had been a miscalculation done by the Election Commission in the Plenary Meeting. The meeting itself announced Tutor candidate pair attained 42,976 votes, Berita candidate pair got 27,976, and Hallo came up with27,556 votes. ”Actually, Hallo pair gets the total legal votes as many as 29,248. As the result, the pairs in the second round would have been Tutor and Hallo pairs,” mentioned Kotan.

With that background, Hallo pair demanded the Court to state legally that the Plenary Session for Vote Counting in Kupang Election done by the Election Commission for the Petitioner was wrong and consequently the second round process had to be suspended.

Responding to the pleading from Hallo, the Head of Kupang Election Commission, Riki Kuson Raka demanded the Court to process the case in a short time. “This is due to the regulation that tells us to do the second round ballot in December or 32 days after the first round recapitulation process,” explained Riki about the reason for the claim.

The Petitioner was responded positively by the Justice Panel Board.. “By this we all agree to settle the case quickly. For that, the examination process whether from the Petitioner s side and the Petitionee s will be finished entirely on Monday (1/12),” emphasized the Head of Justice Panel Board, as he closed the trial. (Kencana Suluh Hikmah) 

Photo: Doc. MK PR/Wiwik BW

Translated by Yogi Djatnika / MK