The Constitutional Court decided Regent Candidate of Minahasa, North Sulawesi Province, Careig Naichel Runtu-Denny Jhonlie Tombeng unproven and unwarranted by law. "The verdict, rejected the petitioner states in full," said Achmad Sodiki Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, when reading the verdict Case No. 103/PHPU.DX/2012, accompanied by other constitutional judges, Friday (18/1) at the Plenary Court.

The Court, the Petitioners’ politicization Budget and government projects to win the Related Party (Candidate Jantje Wowiling-Ivan S. J Sarundajang) socialization and politicization of women’s empowerment program of coastal and Fisheries Department of North Sulawesi Province ridden with political interest of Related Parties.

Then, the arguments were denied by the Respondent (Minahasa Election Commission) and the Related Parties. According to the Related Parties, the applicant merely claimed the use of budget Prov. North Sulawesi and the intimidation and the violation by the bureaucracy to win Related Parties.

After looking at all the evidence and witnesses presented at the hearing, according to the Court, there is no convincing evidence of the politicization of the project budget and the North Sulawesi Provincial Government for the benefit of the Related Parties. "In reality there is no set of facts that could prove the involvement of civil servants and the bureaucracy," said Fadlil Sumadi, when reading the verdict.

Moreover, Petitioners’ argument related to the existence of political money (money politics), the Court considered not enough to convince any money politics, which is a structured, systematic and massive in Minahasa District Election. "If it is true of the Related Party in money politics violation in Minahasa Election District, but violations of money politics as evidenced by the Petitioner in the trial court merely sporadic," he explained.

Court continued, if it is true the people as the Petitioner has received money from Related Parties cannot be certain that these people will choose the Related Parties. "Therefore, there is no convincing evidence that there is money politics is done in a systematic, structured, and massive by the Related Parties as argued by the Petitioner, the Court found that Petitioner was not unreasonable under the law," explained Fadlil Sumadi.

While Petitioner linked the involvement of North Sulawesi Governor and his staff on the award of Related Parties collecting Old Law (village head) in Minahasa District, the Court there is no convincing evidence of the involvement of the Governor and his staff on the award of the Related Parties.

"If there is support for voter personally to Related Parties without any action affecting, provocation and intimidation board of governors, it cannot be categorized as a violation of structured, systematic, and massive," said Fadlil again. (Shohibul Umam / mh)