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Attorney Rudi Harmono delivering the Respondent’s response at the second hearing of the Solok regent election results dispute, Monday (1/2/2021) in the Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—In the fourth session, Panel I justices led by Chief Justice Anwar Usman heard the responses by the Respondent and Relevant Party as well as Bawaslu’s testimony in the Solok Regency case No. 77/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021, filed by Candidate Pair No. 1 Nofi Candra-Yulfradi.

The Solok Regency General Elections Commission (Respondent) through attorney Rudi Harmono responded to the Petitioner’s allegation that the KPPS (polling station working committee) had destroyed a number of valid votes, making them invalid, and that the KPU didn’t show professionalism and that some KPPS officers had perpetuated double voting. The Respondent denied these allegations, which they believe were mere assumptions.

The Respondent also denied the Petitioner’s claim that the total numbers of voters in the final voters list (DPT) in the recapitulation in Solok Regency for the 2020 West Sumatera governor election and that in the 2020 Solok regent election differed. This was supported by the Respondent’s evidence that the number of voters in the DPT for the governor election was 173.577, while for the Solok regency election 173,566. The gap was due to 13 voters in the correctional facility shown in the special DPT to be owning KTP (resident ID card) from outside of Solok Regency, while 2 ex-convicts abstained.

The Respondent also denied massive vote buying and the use of the Laskar Merah Putih mass organization as a symbol of the immunity of Candidate Pair No. 2 from law and the partiality of 74 heads of nagari. “The Solok Regency KPU didn’t receive any recommendation from Bawaslu regarding violations by Candidate Pair No. 2,” Rudi said.

The Respondent requested that the Court reject or dismiss the Petitioner’s allegations, reject the entire petitum, accept the Respondent’s response in full, and declare the Solok Regency KPU’s certification of the 2020 election recapitulation dated December 17, 2020 accurate and binding.

The attorney of Candidate Pair No. 2 Epyardi Asda-Jon Firman Pandu (Relevant Party), Isnaldi, stated that the Court wasn’t authorized to examine, hear, and decide the 2020 Solok Regency dispute case because the Petitioner didn’t challenge the vote counting results, but the violations in the election.

Meanwhile, Afri Memori said Bawaslu hadn’t received any report or finding of any vote buying practices by the Relevant Party as alleged by the Petitioner. Bawaslu also said it hadn’t received any promise of house renovation or vote buying involving ASN.

Also read: Alleged TSM and Administrative Violations in Purworejo, Solok, Rembang Regency Elections

In the petition, the Petitioner argued that the KPU certification showed a vote margin of 814 between them and the Relevant Party. They stressed that their votes had been reduced because the KPPS had destroyed a number of valid votes, making them invalid. They also alleged that the KPU didn’t show professionalism and that some KPPS officers had perpetuated double voting.

They also alleged that the total numbers of voters in the final voters list (DPT) in the recapitulation in Solok Regency for the 2020 West Sumatera governor election and that in the 2020 Solok regent election differed. They also believe there had been massive money politics as the Laskar Merah Putih mass organization was a symbol of the immunity of Candidate Pair No. 2 from law and the partiality of 74 heads of nagari. 

Writer: Fuad Subhan
Editor: Lulu Anjarsari
Uploader: Fuad Subhan

Translator: Yuniar Widiastuti
Editor: NL
Managing Editor: Budi Wijayanto

Translation uploaded on 02/02/2021 13:33 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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