The United Development Party (PPP) through attorney Dedy Setiawan conveying the subjects of the petition in the prelimenary hearing of the 2019 DPR-DPRD 2019Election Results Dispute (PHPU) in the electoral district (Dapil) of RiauIslands Province (Kepri) on Thursday (11/7) at the Panel Courtroomof the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ganie.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) held the hearing of the 2019 DPR-DPRD (House of Representatives-Regional Legislative Council) PHPU in Electoral District (Dapil) of the Riau Islands Province (Kepri) on Thursday (11/07/2019) at 16.00 WIB. In petition No. 167-04-10/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019, the Golongan Karya Party (Golkar) through attorney Nana Sumarna questioned vote acquisition for the Batam Municipality DPRD in Dapil Batam 1.

“The Petitioner alleged that some of the votes for the Golkar Party had been switched to Perindo Party, Hanura, PPP, dan Garuda in Batam Kota Sub-district. Meanwhile, in Lubuk Baja Sub-district, some of the votes for Golkar had been switched to the Hanura Party. As many as 48 votes for the Golkar candidate Budi Darmawan were not recorded by the Respondent (KPU),” Nana said before the justices of Panel 2, led by Constitutional Justice Aswanto, with Constitutional Justices Saldi Isra and Manahan M. P. Sitompul.

The Golkar Party also questioned the vote acquisition for Bintan Regency DPRD. According to the Golkar Party, in the Dapil of Bintan 3, votes for the Golkar candidate Amran had been purged and the votes for fellow Golkar candidate Aisyah increased in Dapil Bintan 3. "This is in accordance with the data belonging to the witnesses of other political parties," said Hendri Napitupulu, another attorney of the Petitioner.

In petition No. 239-06-10/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019, the Garuda Party questioned an incident in the Dapil Tanjung Pinang 2. “The Respondent did not change the votes of the Petitioner, but the votes for the Golkar Party increased by 148 votes, which cause the votes for the Garuda Party not meeting the requirement for the seat of the Tanjung Pinang Municipality DPRD," explained Saleh Kabakoran, as Garuda Party’s attorney.

Meanwhile, the United Development Party (PPP) through attorney Dedy Setiawan questioned the vote acquisition in Batam Municipality in petition No. 105-10-10/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019. Some ballot papers for Dapil Batam 4 were included in Dapil Batam 6. PPP had requested for a replacement of ballot papers. However, until the end of the polling day, it turned out that the ballot papers were not replaced. Bawaslu had recommended a revote, but it was not implemented by the Batam Municipality KPU.

Examined next was the petition of the Great Movement Party (Gerindra) No. 146-02-10/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019. One of the candidates from the Gerindra Party, Zulham Effendy, explained that in the Dapil Riau Islands 4, there was a dispute among fellow candidates of the Gerindra Party, Nyanyang Haris Pratamura and Asnah, about the Riau Islands Province DPRD seat.

The latest petition was by the United Indonesia Party (Perindo). However, the Perindo Party stated that they withdrew their petition. (Nano Tresna Arfana/NRA)

Translated by: MJK/YW