The Constitutional Court (The Court) declared that the violations in the second round Kerinci Election 2008, argued by the Petitioner, Ami Taher and Dianda Putra (Candidate Pair No. 1), was unproven and legally unreasonable. These were announced in the trial for decision reading for case No. 61/PHPU.D-VI/2008, Wednesday (14/1), at the Court s Main Room.

”On the violations as argued by the Petitioner, whether administrative or criminal, in the process of election in Kerinci Regency, the Court considered that those should be settled by the Election Watcher Committee and other related institutions,” explained Constitutional Justice Maruarar Siahaan.

However, continued Maruarar, generally such violations were not officially reported by the Petitioner according to the procedure. Therefore, such violations could not be proven by the law.

The Petitioner, in the previous trials had presented 14 witnesses to support their claim on the existence of violation in the election process. Nevertheless, the Petitionee, the Kerinci Election Commission, denied the arguments by presenting 28 witnesses to their side which stated that the election process had been running orderly, securely and well.

Besides that, if the margin of 16,209 votes between the Petitioner and the Winning Candidate Pair in the Election Commission version, Candidate Pair No. 6, Murasman and Mohd. Rahman, was reduced by the number of votes resulted from the violations argued, according to the Court, still could not go the Petitioner s way.

”Dismissing the Petitioner s claims entirely, stating legal the Decree of Kerinci Election Election No. 109/2008 about the Announcement of Recapitulation Result of Kerinci Regent and Vice Regent Second Round Election 2008 and the Announcement of Elected Candidate of Regent and Vice Regent Election in Kerinci 2008 dated December 15, 2008,” stated the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Moh. Mahfud MD, reading the Court s Decision. (Luthfi Widagdo Eddyono)

Photo: Doc. of CCRI PR/Andhini SF

Translated by Yogi Djatnika / CCRI