Legal counsel of the Petitioners, Muh. Salman Darwis, delivering the main points of the petition for the 2018 Regional Head Election of Deiyai Regent and Vice Regent, Thursday (1/11) in the Plenary Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ganie.

The Constitutional Court held the preliminary hearing of the Dispute over the Results of the 2018 Regional Head Election of Deiyai Regent and Vice Regent on Thursday (1/11) in the Plenary Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. The case No. 72/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 was chaired by Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman, in the presence of Constitutional Justices I Dewa Gede Palguna and Wahiduddin Adams.

In the petition, Deiyai Regent and Vice Regent Candidate Pair Number 4, Inarius Douw and Anakletus Doo through Muh. Salman Darwis, expressed their objection to the results of the 2018 Regional Head Reelection of Deiyai Regent and Vice Regent, which is stated in the Decree of Deiyai Regency KPU No. 30/HK.03.1-Kpt/9128/KPU-Kab/X/2018 on vote recapitulation from each sub-district in the regional head re-election in Deiyai Regency in accordance with Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018.

Furthermore, Salman explained that in the PSU there were violations and fraud committed by the Deiyai Regency KPU (Respondent) as well as Ateng Edowai and Hengky Pigai (Relevant Party/Candidate Pair Number 1). These violations include  Respondent not being independent by siding with Candidate Pair Number 1; the Deiyai Regency KPU recalling election organizers at the villages; Respondent manipulating the agreement of the people of Komauto Village, Kapiraya District who cast 1,208 votes for the Petitioners; and Respondent and Candidate Pair Number 1 using violence and intimidation to manipulate the results of the agreement of  the people of Kampung Diyai I, Tigi Barat District, who cast 2,000 votes for the Petitioners.

"If violations and fraud had not occurred, the Petitioners\' vote would have been 3,273 votes according to the agreement of the people of Kampung Komauto, Kapiraya District, and the people of Kampung Diyai I, Tigi Barat District, in which Ateng Edowai and Hengky Pigai (Candidate Pair Number 1) received 2,108 votes; Keni Ikamou and Abraham Tekege (Candidate Pair Number 2) received 1 vote, Dance Takimai and Robert Dawapa (Candidate Pair Number 3) received 1 vote, and the Petitioners received 3,273 votes. Based on these results, the Petitioners should be declared winner in the 2018 Deiyai Regional Head Reelection with accumulated votes of 17,346 plus 3,273, or 20,619 votes," Salman explained.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested that the Court  overturn the Decree of Deiyai Regency KPU No. 30/HK.03.1-Kpt/9128/KPU-Kab/X/2018 on vote recapitulation from each sub-district in the regional head election in Deiyai Regency; disqualify [the Relevant Party] for committing a structured, systematic, and massive violation; and determine the votes from the 2018 Deiyai Regent and Vice Regent Election according to the Petitioners, in which Ateng Edowai and Hengky Pigai (Candidate Pair Number  1) obtained 17,605 votes, Keni Ikamou and Abraham Tekege (Candidate Pair Number  2) received 7,548 votes, Dance Takimai and Robert Dawapa (Candidate Pair Number  3) received 15,226 votes, and the Petitioners received 20,619 votes.

Before closing the session, Chief Justice Anwar informed that the hearing would be continued on Tuesday, November 6, 18 at 2.00 p.m. to listen to the response from the Respondent, as well as statements from the Relevant Party and Panwaslu. The Court expected that responses from all parties be submitted to the Registrar\'s Office on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 10.00 a.m. at the latest. (Sri Pujianti/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)