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Chief Justice Arief Hidayat attended WCCJ Bureau Meeting on Saturday (12/3), in Venice, Italy.

 

 

 

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI) proposed as the host of fifth World Conference on Constitutional Justice which scheduled on 2020, Chief Justice of the Court Arief Hidayat delivered in WCCJ Bureau Meeting on Saturday (12/3) in Venice, Italy.

As President of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions, Arief said the MKRI ready to host the congress. He argued the MKRI had experience in hosting regional and international events. “After held international symposium in 2015, the MKRI will hold AACCEI Congress in August 2016 in Denpasar, Bali” said him. He then delivered the agenda of the AACCEI.

President of the Lithuanian Constitutional Court Dainius Zalimas led the bureau meeting which attended by twenty association presidents of various regions and linguistic groups around the world and the Venice Commission as WCCJ Secretariat. The meeting participants discussed on preparation of third WCCJ congress that will be held in Lithuania in September 2017.

Arief also requested that the Bureau invited two new members of the AACCEI, Myanmar and Kyrgystan, to participate in third WCCJ Congress. Arief who end his term as AACCEI President in August 2016 also proposed that the WCCJ facilitated developing countries in participating in WCCJ agenda. “We support equal opportunity for developing countries’ constitutional courts in order to participate in advancing democracy and human rights,” he added.

Nation Disorentation

Amidst the bureau meeting, Arief conducted dialogue and delivered information on Indonesia constitutional development to Indonesian community in Roma. Accompanied by Minister/Vice Representative of Indonesian Embassy to Rome Des Alwi, Arief explained that the MKRI had already settled 151 regional election dispute cases. Among the cases, the Court ordered revoting in 5 regions.

Arief assessed the regions aforementioned were yet possessed good political and legal culture, so the regions had difficulty in implementing election process which in accordance with election principles.

“For example, revoting was ordered in one of the regencies in North Maluku because there were problems in 28 polling stations, so the result should be recounted. It later figured out that ballots which stored in 20 ballot boxes were lost,” he explained.

Arief assessed that such condition was caused by nation disorientation. Some of nation stakeholders were no longer followed nation’s philosophy formulated by founding fathers. Whereas, Arief added, the founding fathers had formulated the Pancasila as nation’s fundament and united nation components during nation struggle. “Recently, we indeed lost our direction because we ignore Pancasila values,” said Arief.

Meanwhile, Des Alwi expressed his gratitude towards Chief Justice’s visit. “It is a rare opportunity for Indonesian community in Rome to directly hear information about law enforcement development in Indonesia,” said Alwi. 

Around 100 Indonesian citizens, mostly students and professionals, participated in the meeting which held by Indonesian Embassy to Rome. (ArdliN/lul/Prasetyo Adi N) 

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