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Panel preliminary examination hearing of the 2018 Kerinci Regency election results dispute, Thursday (26/7) in the Panel Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Gani.

Candidate Pair Number 3 Zainal Abidin-Asral Apri conveyed the arguments challenging the 2018 Kerinci Regency election, Thursday afternoon (26/7/2018). The Petitioner of case No. 39/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 was represented by attorney Irawadi and his team.

Irawadi conveyed the votes for the candidate pairs: Candidate Pair Number 1 Monadi-Edison received 42,683 votes or 28.80%; Candidate Pair Number 2 Adirozal-Ami Taher received 55,579 votes or 37.50% Candidate Pair Number 3 Zainal Abidin-Asral Apri received 49,992 votes or 33.70%. The vote margin between Candidate Pair Number 3 and Candidate Pair Number 2 as the winner was over 2%.

"Even though there is a margin of more than 2 percent, the Court cannot allow itself to be subjected to procedural justice, but also to substantive justice as stipulated in the jurisprudence in various Court decisions," Irawadi argued to the Constitutional Court\'s justice panel led by Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto. 

Irawadi explained that money politics committed by Candidate Pair Number 2 and his campaign team include, state civil apparatus (ASN) and several officials in the Kerinci Regency Government. This greatly had affected the vote results of Candidate Pair Number 3. 

In addition, Irawadi said, the regional secretary and a number of Kerinci Regency Government officials had abused their authority and compromised their neutrality by being involved in practical politics by giving speeches during the Kerinci community gathering at the residence of vice regent candidate Ami Taher in Sawahan Jaya Semurup Air Village, Kerinci Regency. 

Lahat Regency Election Dispute 

Meanwhile, Candidate Pair Number 4 of the 2018 Lahat Regency election Bursah Zarnubi-Parhan Berza, represented by attorney Veri Junaidi, challenged the election results. The Petitioner of case No. 58/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 revealed that the decisions of the Constitutional Court and electoral threshold should have promoted initial examination of the 2018 Lahat Regency election.

"In organizing the 2018 Election of Regent and Vice Regent of Lahat, there were structured, systematic, and massive efforts to widen the vote margin so that [the Petitioner] cannot submit a petition over the results of the election because [the Relevant Party] is considered to have passed the threshold for filing a petition," Veri explained in a hearing on Thursday (26/7/2018).

Veri explained that efforts to widen the vote margin were carried out through unlawful acts by giving or promising money or other material in a structured, systematic, and massive manner. Money politics violations occur in almost all sub-districts in Lahat Regency: 19 sub-districts of 24 sub-districts in Lahat Regency. 

In the same session, the Constitutional Court also held a hearing on the 2018 Subang Regency election. Petitioner, Candidate Pair Number 3 Dedi Junaedi-Budi Setiadi, revealed alleged violations in 2,385 polling stations (TPS) in the form of inflation of the number of voters. In addition, 690 polling stations accepted ballots that were not in accordance with the provisions as regulated in the KPU Regulation No. 8 of 2018. 

As many as 414 TPS recorded a different number of ballots in their receipt than the total number of actual valid, invalid, damaged, and unused ballots. In addition, relatives of Candidate Pair Number 1 Ruhimat-Agus Masykur allegedly practiced money politics. (Nano Tresna Arfana/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

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