Refly Harun, attorney of the Customary Community Council of Pegunungan Tengah Lapago (Petitioner) delivering the subjects of the petition of the 2018 Puncak Regency election results dispute case, Friday (27/7) in the Panel Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Gani.

The Customary Community Council of Pegunungan Tengah Lapago had their petition of the 2018 Puncak Regency election results dispute case No. 18/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 examined by the Constitutional Court (MK) on Friday (27/7/2018). They challenged the affirmation of Puncak Regent-Vice Regent Candidate Pair Willem Wandik-Pelinus Banal by the Puncak Regency KPU. They alleged that one half of the pair, who won against an empty column, had used fake a diploma.

The Petitioner\'s attorney Refly Harun said that initially Willem Wandik had paired with Alus UK Murib, who was proven to have falsified his undergraduate diploma. This should have earned them a disqualification, similar to the North Sumatera Provincial KPU that disqualified JP Saragih for the same reason, but the Puncak Regency KPU instead replaced him with Pelinus Banal.

Involvement of Police

In the same session, the Court also examined the Maluku provincial election results dispute case petitioned by Candidate Pair Herman Adrian Koedoeboen-Abdullah Vanath. In the preliminary hearing of case No. 29/PHP.GUB-XVI/2018, the Petitioner\'s attorney Henry S Lusikoy alleged that fraud had occurred during voting, including the involvement of police officers during the campaign for Candidate Pair Murad Ismail-Barnabas Orno, such as the Maluku Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Hasanuddin and his subordinates.

Lusikoy also alleged that state civil apparatus (ASN) was mobilized. Therefore, the Petitioners requested that the Court annul the determination of Candidate Pair Murad Ismail-Barnabas Orno and order a revote in several regencies.

Documents Legally Defective

In the same hearing, the Court also examined the Kapuas Regency election results dispute case No. 70/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018. Candidate Pair Number 2 Mawardi-Muhajirin challenged the documents of Candidate Pair Number 1 Ben Brahim S Bahat-HM Nafiah Ibnor, which they alleged were legally defective. The Petitioner\'s attorney Veri Junaidi also alleged that as incumbent, Candidate Pair Number 1 also replaced officials and used government programs to tip the election campaign to their favor. They had been transferred five times in six months and changed the allocation of the regional budget to several offices in the regency. (Arif/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti