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JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) held the preliminary hearing of the 2020 regional head election (pilkada) results dispute for two regencies: Belu and Indragiri Hulu on Tuesday afternoon, January 26, 2021. Chief Justice Anwar Usman chaired the Panel I hearing alongside Constitutional Justices Enny Nurbaningsih and Wahiduddin Adams.

The case No. 18/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 of Belu Regency was filed by Willybrodus Lay dan J.T Ose Luan through attorney Novan Erwin Manafe. Manafe requested that the Court annul the General Elections Commission (KPU) Decree 224/PL.02.6-Kpt/5304/KPU-Kab/XII/2020 on the certification of the 2020 Belu Regency election vote counting recapitulation dated December 16, 2020.

Based on the KPU decree, the Candidate Pair No. 1 received 50,376 votes while Candidate Pair No. 2 Taolin Agustinus - Aloysius Haleseren received 50,623 votes. However, the Petitioner alleged that Candidate Pair No. 2 should have received only 50,197 or 179 votes fewer than them. “The rival candidate pair had committed violations that [reduced] the votes for Candidate Pair No. 1 (Petitioner),” Manafe said.

He explained that violations also included the reduction of the Petitioner’s votes at several polling stations (TPS), such as in Maneikun Village of Lasiolat Sub-district, Fatubenao Village of Kota Atambua Sub-district, and several others; vote inflation for the Candidate Pair No. 2 at TPS in Ren Rua Village of Raimanuk Sub-district and several others; additional voters from other regencies; and voters who used invalid resident ID cards (KTP). In addition, the Petitioner claimed to have found indication of money politics and mobilization of people, which they would prove by video recording of witnesses and other evidence to be presented at later hearings.

Therefore, in their petitum, the Petitioner requested that the Court granted the petition in full and annul the Belu Regency KPU decree and declare it not legally binding.

Violations in Indragiri Hulu Regency Elections

At the same preliminary hearing, the Court also heard the Indragiri Hulu Regency election dispute case No. 93/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 filed by Rizal Zamzami-Yoghi Susilo, who alleged that ballots had been manipulated in the vote counting and recapitulation at the sub-district level throughout Indragiri Hulu Regency, resulting in surplus ballot paper, and that there had been structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations.

Therefore, attorney Saut Maruli Tua Manik stated, the Petitioner requested in their petitum that the Court accept their objection and grant their petition in full, and annul the Indragiri Hulu Regency KPU Decree No. 712/PL.02.6-Kpt/1420/KPU-Kab/XII/2020 on the certification of the 2020 Indragiri Hulu regent election vote counting recapitulation, dated December 17, 2020. In addition, they requested that the Court order the Respondent to do a revote (PSU) at 7 sub-districts: Rengat, Pasir Penyu, Peranap, Seberida, Batang Cenaku, Batang Gansal, and Rakit Kulim following the fair and confidential election principles and according to democratic principles.

Translator: Yuniar Widiastuti
Editor: R.A. Indah Apriyanti
Managing Editor: Budi Wijayanto

Translation uploaded on 01/27/2021 12:57 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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