The preliminary examination hearing of the 2019 Presidential Election Results Dispute on Friday (14/06) at the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court’s justice deliberation meeting (RPH) on Monday, June 24, 2019 decided that the Court would hold a plenary ruling hearing for the 2019 Presidential and Vice Presidential Election Results Dispute (PHPU) petitioned by Candidate Pair Number 02 Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno (Prabowo-Sandi). The the ruling hearing was scheduled to read the Decision Number 01/PHPU-PRES/XVII/2019 on Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 12:30 WIB.

The session was scheduled a day earlier than the previous schedule on June 28, 2019 as the justices believed that the discussion and review of the 2019 Presidential and Vice Presidential PHPU case would have been completed by Thursday.

“The Constitutional Court pushes the ruling forward before the set date of June 28, 2019, because the panel of justices has ensured and believes that the decision is ready to be read on Thursday, June 27, 2019. That is, the discussion, the review of all matters related to the case will be completed on Thursday, including the drafting of the ruling to be pronounced on Thursday,” explained Fajar Laksono Soeroso, Head of Public Relations and Domestic Cooperation Department, at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday (25/6/2019).

Fajar emphasized that the early ruling had absolutely no relation to activities or considerations outside the interest of the Constitutional Court, neither does it violate any provisions. “It is not to adjust to any agenda outside of the interest of the Constitutional Court. This is solely because the panel of justices is ready to pronounce the ruling on Thursday. Because, by law, it doesn\'t matter to speed up the ruling. June 28, 2019 is the deadline for the ruling to be pronounced. Under the limit of 14 working days the Constitutional Court must resolve the presidential election results dispute" said Fajar.

Fajar also said that the main concern related to the deadline was time management. Most importantly, the Court provided an opportunity for the litigating parties to be heard in a fair and balanced manner. Then, the panel of justices uses the remaining time to decide the case.

"That the panel of justices takes one, two, or three days [to decide on the case], it is only a matter of time management, how promptly the panel of justices can prepare and finalize the decision," explained Fajar.

Fajar revealed that the ruling of the 2014 presidential and vice presidential election dispute was also made in less than 14 working days, ahead of schedule. “This is not due to security considerations. We have entrusted the security during the hearing to the law enforcement. We have coordinated [with the law enforcement] for the agenda set by the Constitutional Court. The needs and strategies in the field are entirely the authority of the Police. The focus is on the Constitutional Court building, so that the hearing will run smoothly," said Fajar.

Measures such as route-diversion of traffic flow and blockade in front of the Constitutional Court building are entirely the authority of the Police. Not only that, the Police are also ready to guard the nine constitutional justices and their families during the 2019 presidential and vice presidential PHPU hearing. Security details for the families of the justices are provided not only for the nuclear families, but also for their extended families outside the city.

We coordinated with the Police until the hearing is over. After the Constitutional Court ruling, the security for the constitutional justices, the official residences of the justices, and the residences of the justices in their hometowns are all [guarded] in coordination with the law enforcement. [That is] because after the presidential election [PHPU], the Court will still try, examine, and decide the legislative election results dispute cases," Fajar explained. (Nano Tresna Arfana/NRA/MJK/YW)