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Tuesday, February 16, 2021 | 10:43 WIB

The ruling hearing of the Kutai Kartanegara Regency election results dispute, Monday (15/2/2021) in the Plenary Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) decided to declare the Kutai Kartanegara regent election results dispute petition by the election watcher Lembaga Pemantau Lumbung Suara Rakyat (LIRA) in the Decision No. 75/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 read out on Monday afternoon, February 15, 2021 in the plenary courtroom

In the legal considerations read out by Constitutional Justice Manahan M. P. Sitompul, the Court stated that it needed to observe the Petitioner’s statutes/bylaws and their organizational structure as an NGO. However, until the hearing on February 2, 2020 the Petitioner didn’t submit the aforementioned documents. Therefore, the Court couldn’t verify the party who could represent LIRA to file a petition to the Court. Moreover, the petition was filed and only signed by H. M. Jusuf Rizal a.k.a. Mohammad Joesef as the president of LIRA without the secretary-general or other functionaries mentioned in the statutes/bylaws.

“Because the a quo petition was filed only by H. M. Jusuf Rizal a.k.a. Mohammad Joesef, the Petitioner didn’t have the legal standing to file the a quo petition,” Justice Manahan said to the litigating parties who attended the hearing remotely.

Also read:

NGO Questions Mayor Election in Balikpapan and Regent Election in Kutai Kertanegara

Bawaslu RI Reveals Recommendation to Disqualify Kutai Kartanegara Regeny Candidates 

In the a quo petition, the Petitioner requested the nullification of the Kutai Kartanegara Regency KPU (General Elections Commission) Decree No. 908/PL.02.6-Kpt/6402/KPU-Kab/XII/2020 on the certification of the 2020 Kutai Kartanegara Regency election vote counting recapitulation dated December 17, 2020 at 05:15 WITA. The Petitioner alleged structural violations in the election. They said that the election was designed to have only one participant: incumbent Edi Damansyah-Rendi Solihin vs. an empty column.

Writer: Sri Pujianti
Editor: Nur R.
Uploader: Rudi

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

Translation uploaded on 02/16/2021 15:25 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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