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Tuesday, March 23, 2021 | 15:01 WIB

The Petitioners’ attorney Henny Handayani reading out the petition at the hearing for the 2020 South Pesisir regent election in Panel 3 Courtroom of the Constitutional Court, Tuesday (23/3/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

JAKARTA, Public Relations—The preliminary hearing of the 2020 South Pesisir Regency election dispute was held by the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday morning, March 23, 2021. The petition No. 136/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 was filed by election observers M. Husni, Sutarto Rangkayo Mulie, Nelly Armida (Petitioners I-III), who were represented by attorney Henny Handayani.

“The Petitioners’ demand is the nullification of the South Pesisir Regency General Elections Commission Decree No. 259/PL.02.03-KPT/1301/KPU-Kab/IX/202 on the Certification of Eligible Regent-Vice Regent Candidate Pairs dated September 23, 2020,” said Henny before the panel chaired by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat.

The Petitioners also requested the annulment of the regency’s KPU’s decree on the certification of Candidate Pair No. 2 as a contestant in the 2020 election. They also requested that the Court annul the KPU Decree No. 368/PL.02.01-KPT/1301/KPU-Kab/XII/2020 on the Certification of the 2020 South Pesisir Election Vote Counting Recapitulation dated December 16, 2020.

Henny said the petition was based on the rejection to the cassation petition of Rusma Yul Anwar, MPd. based on online evidence from the Supreme Court on February 24, 2021 No. 31 K/Pid.SUS-LH/2021, that she had been a convict since June 2020. Therefore, her nomination was legally flawed.

“With the cassation petition rejection by the Supreme Court, the Petitioners believe Rusma Yul Anwar has been a convict since June 2020. The Petitioners believes Drs. Rusma Yul Anwar, MPd. as Candidate Pair No. 2 of the 2020 South Pesisir regent election was legally flawed,” Henny stressed.

The Petitioners believe the Respondent’s decision to certify Rusma Yul Anwar as a candidate has harmed the other candidates’ constitutional rights. In the petitum, the Petitioners requested that the Court annul the certification of Candidate Pair No. 2 dated February 26, 2021 and order the Respondent to hold a revote without said candidate pair.

Presumption of Innocence

In response to the petition, Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat asked the Petitioners’ attorney to explain the object of the petition, which is the vote counting recapitulation results of the candidate pairs in the 2020 South Pesisir regent election.

Meanwhile, Constitutional Justice Manahan M. P. Sitompul questioned the conviction status of Rusma Yul Anwar and when it started.

Constitutional Justice Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh reminded the Petitioners to apply presumption of innocence regarding the conviction status of Candidate Pair No. 2.

Writer: Nano Tresna Arfana
Editor: Nur R.

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

Translation uploaded on 3/24/2021 10:45 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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