The Constitutional Court (the Court) held the trial for the dispute over regional election result of Langkat Regency, Wednesday (14/1), at the Court s building, with Witness Verification as the agenda. The Case No. 66/PHPU.D-VI/2008 was pleaded by candidate pair, Drs. H. Asrin Naim and Drs. H. Legimun.S.,M.Pd., meanwhile Langkat Election Commission sat in the Petitionee s position.

The Petitioner objected the Petitionee s Decision No. 29/2008 dated December 24, 2008 about the Announcement of Recapitulation Result of Langkat Regent and Vice Regent Second Round Election 2008 which was won by candidate pair No. 1, Ngogesa Sitepu and Budiono.
 
The Petitionee, claimed the Petitioner, could only explain the total legal votes as many as 409,565 and the illegal ones 6,089 while the number of unused ballot remained unknown.

The Petitionee, in this trial, presented four witnesses, Head of the Election Watchers Committee, Marhadenis Nasution; Head of Sub-district Election Committee, Samto; Head of Election Organizing Committee, Selamat; and Head of Campaign Team of Candidate No. 1, Khairuddin Nasution. They testified that the process of the election had been running well, secure and there were no violations in each vote center around Langkat Regency.

There were indeed 72 reports which were suspected to be criminal and 34 reports of money politics. ”Among the so many reports, only six reports could be processed further,” said Marhadenis. Besides that, Khairuddin Nasution explained that in the second round election, all process ran well and orderly because it was monitored by the Election Watchers. 

Before closing the trial, Head of Justice Panel Board, Ahmad Sodiki, advised the Petitioner, Petitionee, and the Related Party to conclude the result of the trials in written in order to help the Constitutional Justices in drawing their conclusion in the fairest way. The Court also reminded all parties that having a trial in the Court was free of charge, ”and if you hear an issue that there is irresponsible people claiming to be able to help winning the case, it is not true, because this institution is a clean judicial institution,” exclaimed Sodiki.

The next trial would be held on Wednesday (21/1), at 14.00 WIB (GMT+7) scheduled for decision reading. (Prana Patrayoga Adiputra)

Photo: Doc. of CCRI PR /Wiwik BW

Translated by Yogi Djatnika / CCRI