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Chief Justice Anwar Usman opening a technical assistance program on the 2020 election of governors, regents, and mayors for KAI, PPKHI, and Association of Trisakti University Law Faculty Alumni, Wednesday (2/12/2020) from Jakarta. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The regional head election is an implementation of democracy and nomocracy. The amendment to the 1945 Constitution led to the choice to return the sovereignty to the people in electing the president/vice president and heads of regions in democratic elections, said Chief Justice Anwar Usman when opening a technical assistance program (bimtek) on the 2020 election of governors, regents, and mayors (pilkada) for the Congress of Indonesian Advocates (KAI), the Indonesian Christian Legal Profession Association (PPKHI), and the Association of Trisakti University’s Law Faculty Alumni on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

Such concept means the highest sovereignty in the state administration is vested in the people. The people also hold the authority to elect representatives in the legislative and executive bodies. However, in practice, the constitution safeguards the interests of the people.

“This technical assistance program was organized so that the regional head election results dispute resolution can run well according to the timeline set in statutory laws so and according to the principles in the Constitution. Therefore, mutual cooperation is needed for the success of this national agenda, starting from the voting to the dispute resolution,” he said at the virtual event attended by Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah, KAI president Tjoetjoe Sanjaja Hernanto, chairman of the Association of Trisakti University’s Law Faculty Alumni Rivai Kusumanegara, and PPKHI chairman Fredrik J. Pinakunary.

He also said that as a judicial body, the Constitutional Court has prepared to take the mandate of the 2020 pilkada dispute settlement. However, all elements of the nation have responsibility to ensure its success. Various professions, including academics and advocates, should contribute to safeguarding and enforcing democratic values mandated by the Constitution. Therefore, Justice Anwar hoped the participants of the event can guard the pilkada so that it runs according to statutory laws.

In his remarks, KAI president Tjoetjoe Sanjaja Hernanto thanked the Constitutional Court for sharing the procedural law in the Constitutional Court to KAI members amid the pandemic. He hoped KAI members would be able to use the information they received in the upcoming pilkada results dispute settlement.

Procedural Law of Pilkada Results Dispute

Next, in his report, Secretary-General of the Constitutional Court M. Guntur Hamzah said that the pilkada results dispute settlement is the Court’s additional authority until a special judicial body is established. The Court is expected to settle pilkada disputes well. He believes the pilkada voting today has run smoothly.

“The Court is always prepared to organize technical assistance programs such as today for the success of this national agenda and to give materials to all stakeholders directly and indirectly,” he said before 321 participants on the first day of the program.

Guntur also said that the program aimed to share information on the procedural law of  the pilkada results dispute and to disseminate the Constitutional Court regulations (PMK) related to it, in order to unify the people’s perceptions.

The program was organized by the Constitutional Court's Pancasila and Constitution Education Center for 400 members of the Congress of Indonesian Advocates (KAI), the Indonesian Christian Legal Profession Association (PPKHI), and the Association of Trisakti University’s Law Faculty Alumni. The program will last for three days on Wednesday-Friday, December 9-11, 2020. Constitutional justices, substitute registrars, and researches of the Constitutional Court will deliver presentations in the program.

Writer: Sri Pujianti 
Editor: Nur R.
Translator: Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 12/14/2020 20:35 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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