The division of the constituency (electoral district) for members of the Parliament, Council and Parliament are split Gayo tribe into 2 electoral districts, considered to be a trigger for the lack of representation of the people who sat in a chair Gayo Parliament and legislatures. It pushes people 9 people representatives Gayo tribe filed a test of Article 22 paragraph (5) Law no. 8 Year 2012 on the General Election of the Parliament, Council and Parliament to the Constitutional Court on Monday (28/1). 

Constitutional Court  Panel in cases registered under No. 6/PUU-XI/2013 consists of Hamdan Zoelva, Akil Mochtar, and  Muhammad Alim held a hearing and listen to the exposure of the petition of the Petitioner at the beginning of the trial.

Mursid, one of the principal applicant who is also a member of the Council of Aceh appear in person at the Court building accompanied by legal counsel, Yance Arizona. Yance claimed loss of representation of minority communities Gayo significantly due to the division of electoral district of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam I and II, which have divided the four districts inhabited by the Gayo tribe. "Split into 2 electoral district representation has complicated Gayo tribe, in the absence of a representative, there is no concern of the House of Representatives," said Yance.

The four districts are Central Aceh, East Aceh, Gayo Flexible and highlands. Ideally, according to the Petitioner, the four counties with a population Gayo tribe, not broken up into two different electoral district, but remain united in one electoral district, that all sounds Gayo tribe can be more focused on their representatives, which will automatically voice the aspirations and interests of the Gayo people in a comprehensive and consistent.

Mursid later pointed out, the sound of splitting Gayo tribe in two different electoral district, has caused none of the Tribe Gayo representatives who sit in the House of Representatives electoral district 2. While from one electoral district, Spare Gayo only get one seat from a total of 7 seats to be contested. The same fate also occurs at the level of parliament. He added that, of the 10 seats available in the House of Aceh, Gayo tribe only able to send one person to represent the people of Aceh and Central highlands. Things are not much different happened when determining owned Mursid Council seat. He had to dispute to the Court in 2009, to defend his right to represent the region. Therefore, Mursid suspect, the electoral district that split second solution sounds more nuanced Gayo tribe geo-political, deliberately aimed at eliminating the Gayo tribe’s representation in parliament, both central and local levels.

Three Electoral Districts Best Solution

Met after the hearing, which represents 8 people Mursid other applicant offers the best solutions to fulfill a sense of Gayo society representation. According to him, the division 3 electoral district in the province of Aceh Darussalam (NAD), which consists of the NAD I electoral district, electoral district NAD II, and III NAD electoral district, may be an alternative to consider. In this case, 4 Gayo tribe inhabited districts, the highlands, Central Aceh, Gayo Lues and East Aceh, will be focused in one electoral district, the electoral district NAD II. He believed, with the composition of the electoral district thus, will facilitate Gayo Society has representatives in Parliament and the House of Representatives so that they can voice their interests. Meanwhile, the advice, the judges asked Mursid and his attorney Yance to re-confirm the request by answering the question, whether by not focused the Gayo people in one electoral district, it would eliminate the right of representation in the parliament as well as reduce the recognition of local culture Gayo ethnic minorities. (Juliet / mh)