“I am sad because both candidates are my families and my schoolmates since I was a kid until now. But in this election process, I wish they are fair in seeing the result,” said a witness, Buyung Azhari Tinambunan, as he revealed his disappointment towards the regional election in Subulussalam City, Wednesday (7/1), at the Constitutional Court s (the Court) building.

Tinambunan was the coordinator to get voters in the success team of the Petitioner in Case No. 65/PHPU.D-VI/2008 about the dispute over Subulussalam election, H. Asmauddin, SE. and Drs. Salmaza (Assalam). Tinambunan confessed that Assalam team had actually made a protest on the finding of violations in several vote centers to the monitoring team and sent the copy to the Chief of the Police as well as the Commander of the Military District in Subulussalam, but the protest was not responded.

The Subulussalam Independent Election Commission  (IEC) still went on with the election process by holding the plenary session for the recapitulation result of the election, in fact, they moved the scheduled from Tuesday (23/12) to Thursday (18/12), as the result, Assalam team decided to gather their supporters for a demonstration during the plenary session.

Responding to the testimonial, Head of the IEC, M. Husein, argued that the moving of the plenary session schedule, ”because on 15 (of December, Monday) or the D-day, all ballot boxes altogether with the recapitulation logistic from the District Election Committee had been submitted to us, it means on 16 (Tuesday) everything had been in standby condition.”

Besides that the IEC also thought about the proposal from the Regional Leaders Deliberation to continue the election with the recapitulation process, should everything have been ready. Based on that, admitted Husein, the IEC decided to move the schedule for recapitulation plenary session. ”This had also been informed to each candidate in the election,” he added.

After hearing to the information from witnesses, both from the Petitioner and the Petitionee sides, Constitutional Board of Justices chaired by Maruarar Siahaan expressed their gratitude to those who had given the information and helped to reveal the truth in the trial. ”You have given something for the development of democracy in Indonesia,” said Maruarar before closing the trial. (Nina Afrianti)

Photo: Doc. of CCRI PR/Wiwik BW

Translated by Yogi Djatnika / CCRI