Kamarudin, attorney of Petitioners Candidate Pair Number 5 Teuku Sama Indra-Harmaini, delivering the subjects of the petition in the 2018 regency election dispute case of South Aceh, Thursday (26/7) in the Panel Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Gani.

Candidate Pair Number 5 of the 2018 South Aceh regency election Teuku Sama Indra-Harmaini alleged that they suffered intimidation, slander, and insult from Candidate Pair Number 2 Azwir-Amran. Candidate Pair Number 5 also alleged that Candidate Pair Number 2 bought votes in the election.

On Thursday noon (26/7/2018) the Petitioners of case No. 66/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 through attorney Kamarudin also alleged that the South Aceh Regency Elections Independent Commission (KIP) as the Respondent had committed a violation that affected the votes. "The determination of the recapitulation of vote count results by the Respondent was not legal and flouted the authority of the Respondent," Kamarudin explained.

Kamarudin also alleged that two weeks before the election, TNI (military) and Brimob (Mobile Brigade Corps) had been mobilized to South Aceh Regency, which made the community uncomfortable. He also alleged that the campaign speaker of Candidate Pair Number 2 Kahar Muzakar Hatta had slandered the Petitioners in his public speeches. He also alleged that Candidate Pair Number 2 had bought votes from the people not long before the voting day on June 27.

In the same session, the Court also heard the preliminary hearing of the 2018 Pulang Pisau Regency election dispute case No. 12/PHP.BUP-XVI/2016 petitioned by Candidate Pair Number 1 Idham Amur-Ahmad Jayadikarta. They said that at TPS [polling stations] 1, 2, and 3 of Badirirh Village, Maliku Sub-district, polling station working committee (KPPS) members had allegedly colluded to mark remaining ballot papers. They also said that at polling stations in Hanjak Village, Kahayan Hilir Sub-district, several voters had not been listed in the final voters list (DPT), had used C6 forms belonging to other people, and had not been checked by the KPPS. Several ballot boxes were also opened without notification to the candidate pairs, elections supervisory committee (Panwaslu) at polling stations, security guards, and election observers in 6 polling stations in Bereng Village, Kahayan Hilir Sub-district.

On the same day, the Court also opened sessions for in the 2018 regency election dispute case of Sanggau, Tabalong, and Belitung Regencies where the Petitioners alleged that there had been violations such as vote buying, intimidation, etc. (Nano Tresna Arfana/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti