Collaboration between the Police and the Mobile Brigade Coprs (Brimob) in securing the presidential and vice presidential election results dispute (PHPU) hearing. Photo by Humas MK/Ganie.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) held the preliminary 2019 presidential election results dispute (PHPU) hearing on Friday morning (14/6/2019) with was maximum and layered security around the Constitutional Court.

Today, Police personnel was guarding in front of the Constitutional Court at at the back entrance on Abdul Muis Street. The Constitutional Court was surrounded with barbed wires to ensure the area remains safe. Safety was further ensured by closing the street in front of the Constitutional Court and rerouting the traffic. Head of the Public Relations and Domestic Cooperation Department of the Constitutional Court Fajar Laksono Soeroso revealed that 12,000 police officers were deployed. 

Visitors were allowed to enter the Constitutional Court if they passed the checkpoint at the front or the back entrance. Visitors were required to wear identification while in the area. The Constitutional Court also provided several LCD displays for the public who wanted to watch the hearing. The device was placed at some locations within the Constitutional Court, for example, in front of the Plenary Courtroom, in the Press Room, and in a special tent at the front of the Constitutional Court.

The preliminary 2019 presidential PHPU hearing began at 09.00 WIB and was suspended at 11.20 WIB for Friday prayers. Then the hearing resumed at 13.30 WIB.

The legal team of the Presidential-Vice Presidential Candidate Pair (Paslon) No. 1 Jokowi Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin arrived early in the courtroom at 08.30 WIB. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, coordinator of the legal team of Paslon Number 01, said that he would only listen to the Petitioner’s petition file. However, his camp might give a response if given the opportunity. "We will be listening [to the petition]. If there will be a dialogue or debate, we will do [it]. Because, referring to the schedule, we will provide a statement on June 17," he said.

Meanwhile, legal team coordinator of Paslon Number 02 Prabowo-Sandi, Bambang Widjojanto, arrived five minutes later. He spoke briefly when asked about various matters concerning the petition. "Later we will talk a lot at the hearing," he explained.

Bambang said that he would present witnesses and experts at the next hearing. "The number [we] do not know exactly. I\'ll check first with the team," he explained. (Arif Satriantoro/LA/TGH/MJK/YW)