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The Indonesian Solidarity Party’s (PSI)attorney Kamaruddin claiming vote inflation at the preliminary hearing of West Java Legislative PHPU on Tuesday (9/7) in the Panel 3 Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Vote inflation remains the main argument of political parties in the 2019 DPR, DPD, and DPRD election results dispute (PHPU) hearing held by the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday (9/7/2017). One of them was the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). Through attorney Kamaruddin, PSI questioned this matter for the electoral district (dapil) of West Java I for the seat of the Provincial DPRD (Legislative Council). According to him, PSI should have obtained 85,027 votes, but the Bandung General Elections Commission (KPU) as Respondent had determined that the tally should have resulted in 84,991 votes.

"We were cheated on by several contesting political parties where our votes were reduced and their votes were inflated," Kamaruddin explained in case No. 202-11-12/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019. Kamaruddin alleged that this was based on the vote margin between the copies of C1 and DAA1 forms. This affects the DB1 (municipality/regency) recapitulation and correlates to the DC1 (provincial) recapitulation.

Kamaruddin also illustrated fraud in several polling stations (TPS), for example, in TPS 19, TPS 24, TPS 25, TPS 27, and TPS 36 in Antapani Bandung Sub-district; in TPS 9, TPS 12, and TPS 13 of Lengkong Bandung Sub-district; in TPS 6, TPS 7, TPS 9, and TPS 44 of North Cimahi Sub-district in Cimahi Municipality; and also in TPS 25, TPS 29, TPS 101, and TPS 44 of South Cimahi Sub-district.

“[Therefore], we request the annulment of the KPU Decree dated May 21, 2019 and [that the Court] declare PSI receiving 85,027 votes,” he explained when reading out the petitum.

Meanwhile, the National Awakening Party (PKB), represented by Teja Sukmana, questioned the vote acquisition for Bekasi Regency IV electoral district (dapil). PKB candidate Wahid Hasyim did not win a seat in the electoral district. “There were votes that were switched to benefit the United Indonesia Party (Perindo),” he explained on case No 16-01-12/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019.

Teja said votes were switched to the Perindo Party from the Garuda Party in Satria Mekar, Satria Jaya, Srimahi, Jejalen Jaya, Srijaya, and Srimukti Villages. "From the fraud, Perindo received additional 77 votes so that their total votes were 16,988 votes," he said.

The Petitioner had reported the fraud to the Bekasi Regency Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). Teja revealed that a decree had been issued declaring that the North Tambun Sub-district Election Committee (PPK) had committed administrative violations and it was given a written warning.

“On this basis, we request that PKB [be declared to have received] 16,936 votes and Wahid Hasyim be declared a member of the Bekasi Regency legislature,” he explained in the petitum reading.

The panel presided over by Constitutional Justice I Dewa Gede Palguna, with Constitutional Justices Suhartoyo and Wahiduddin Adams, also examined three other cases. They are cases No. 10-08-12/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019 for the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), No. 168-04-12/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019 for the Golongan Karya Party (Golkar), and No. 199-05-12/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019 for the National Democratic Party (Nasdem). (Arif Satriantoro/LA/RD)

Translated by: FS/YW

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