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A total of 16 journalists from eight countries visited the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia. Their presence Hamdan Zoelva accepted Chief Justice Court Building on the 15th floor, Jakarta, Monday (3/3).

Visit a number of foreign journalists to the Court is one of the agenda of the organization’s East-West Center, the organization of the United States and Asia Pacific, which provides scholarships Jefferson Fellowship for journalists United States and Asia Pacific who passed. Scholarships in the form of visits to several countries including Indonesia.Foreign journalists visit was facilitated by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

To foreign journalists, Hamdan explained the history of the Court,i.e., in 2003 after the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945 was amended in 1999 to 2002. The Court itself entered on the third amendment to the constitution of 2001. The amendment also the greatest judicial reform in Indonesia.At that time, started democracy in Indonesia, accompanied by the affirmation of human rights and the guarantee of local autonomy.

 “The establishment of the Court was motivated by the need for justice to conduct a judicial review of the 1945 Act," said Hamdan.

When Indonesia gained independence until the reign of President Suharto, Hamdan added, the Act cannot be tested in the matter of justice. Society can only test regulations under the Law on the Supreme Court.

Hamdan also answered questions from some journalists; including test verdict Act is fairly highly developed. “Especially in relation to human rights and constitutional rights of citizens, many important decisions issued by the Court.Some of them, the right to elect and be elected for citizens who have been involved in PKI, and a right to be a candidate for the head area outside individual political parties.The Court also cancels rules regarding ex-convict who cannot be a public official. Now, after five years off of prisoners, ex- prisoners can be a public official," he explained.

Answering questions about the cases that have addressed the Court, according to the most challenging case is that the Court decisions related to politics. As an institution of the highest constitutional, the Court must decide the fairest because each political party has different interests. In other words, the Court should be completely independent.

Related technical petition or election disputes in the Election Court, Hamdan explained three days after the General Election Commission (KPU) set of votes on election, candidate applicant may file a lawsuit to the Court. In the General Election, the Court must decide within 14 days and for the legislative elections, the Court would take 30 days. “Usually the reasons on which the lawsuit is a matter of bubbles or noise reduction, the terms of candidates qualified / not qualified, and election violations massive, structured, and systematic," he said.

Corruption in the Eyes of Chief Justice

 “In my opinion, a lot of systems must be repaired to prevent acts of corruption committed by officials. Throughout the system is not built properly, there will still be corruption," said Hamdan.

Real legal efforts by Indonesia to reduce the number of corruption is to strengthen the rule of law. If there is corruption involved state officials, said Hamdan, the punishment third heavier than the non- state providers. The highest punishment for criminals is a death sentence, if corruption is done during a natural disaster. “While in conditions other than natural disasters, the maximum punishment for corruption is 20 years imprisonment," he said. (LuluHanifa / mh )

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