Chief Justice Anwar Usman opening the Technical Assistance Program on the Procedural Law of the 2019 Elections Results Dispute Resolution for the Democrat Party, Thursday (21/3) at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Bogor. Photo by Humas MK/Wengky.

The Technical Assistance Program on the Procedural Law of the Elections Result Dispute (PHPU) Resolution is beneficial for political parties. However, based on the Constitutional Court’s experience handling 2009 and 2014 PHPU cases, many have not understood the proceedings at the Constitutional Court. This was conveyed by Chief Justice Anwar Usman during the Technical Assistance Program on the Procedural Law of the 2019 Elections Result Dispute Resolution for the Democrat Party on Thursday evening on Thursday (21/3/2019) at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Bogor.

He hopes that although the technical program only lasts three days, the participants will learn about the procedure of proceedings at the Constitutional Court. “Not to mention, the 2019 Elections is very complex. Mr. Jusuf Kalla even said that [one of the most] complicated elections are that of Indonesia. Not to mention the elections will be simultaneous. We [have] amazing [elections]. The presidential election is one man one vote. Compare this with elections in the U.S., said to the most democratic state, which is unlike [Indonesia]. [The U.S.] does not dare to apply one man one vote,” he said.

He asserted that the simultaneous 2019 Elections are different from previous elections. There will be 16 parties and 4 Aceh local parties. There are 80 electoral districts from the previous 77. The seats from 560 previously, now reach 575. This led to the increase in the number of legislative candidates. This is only at the central DPR, not including DPRD I and DPRD II.

Chairman of the Democrat Party Council Amir Syamsuddin expressed his thanks to the Court for organizing the program, which he said provide parties with experience for any upcoming dispute case. “As we know, as it turned out, many parties were not prepared to face dispute cases. Even, many do not understand material or procedural laws of the election results at the Constitutional Court,” he said.

Head of the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center Kurniasih Panti Rahayu said that the success of PHPU resolution at the Constitutional Court not only depends on the Court’s preparedness but also on litigants’ understanding of the proceedings. “Not excluding the Democrat Party administrators and members who are in attendance are required [to ensure] the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s constitutional authority. Within that framework, the Court saw the need for this technical assistance program. If the procedure in 2019 election result dispute resolution is understood by all stakeholders, the Court will be able to resolve the cases well, fairly, and with dignity,” she said. (Nano Tresna Arfana/Yuniar Widiastuti)