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Saturday, May 22, 2021 | 16:06 WIB

The Respondent’s attorney Andi Syafrani (left) giving a testimony in the South Labuhanbatu regent election results dispute hearing, Friday (21/5/2021) in the courtroom. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations—The Constitutional Court (MK) held an evidentiary hearing on the South Labuhanbatu regent election results dispute on Friday, May 21, 2021. The case No. 142/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 was filed by Candidate Pair No. 3 Hasnah Harahap-Kholil Jufri Harahap (Hasnah-Kholil). They challenge the results of a revote (PSU) at 16 polling stations (TPSs), which was ordered by the Court in the Decision No. 37/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021. The hearing was presided over by Constitutional Justices Suhartoyo (panel chair), Wahiduddin Adams, and Manahan M. P. Sitompul.

The South Labuhanbatu Regency General Elections Commission (KPU) as the Respondent stressed through their attorney, Andi Syafrani, that the petition was vague because they didn’t elaborate on the correlation between and significance of the petition and the revote process.

The Petitioner previously asserted that organized, significant influences outside the official organizers of the election had affected the revote results. The Respondent stated that this was irrelevant to the revote process and their authority. In addition, they believe the Petitioner didn’t explain what the outside influences had done and how it affected the revote.

Bawaslu Had Zero Finding

Andi then explained that many officials—the South Sumatera police chief, the 1st Regional Military Commander/Bukit Barisan, the central and regional KPU and Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body)—paid special attention to the revote. At each TPS, at least 30 security officers were placed to oversee the voting process. Many residents outside of the precincts also observed the voting process. No violations were found nor reported to the South Labuhanbatu Bawaslu, the Respondent, or the South Sumatera Bawaslu.

“The Petitioner’s assertions only emerged after the final results of the revote were revealed. There were no reports or findings by the South Labuhanbatu Bawaslu [or] the South Sumatera Bawaslu regarding the assertions that the Petitioner made in the a quo case,” Andi said at the hearing, which the South Labuhanbatu KPU chairman Effendi Pasaribu attended.

Andi added that the Petitioner’s assertions were irrelevant to the Respondent’s authority as none of them showed any mistake by the Respondent in the revote process. Moreover, the tabulation results were approved by all of the Petitioner’s witnesses in tiers without any objections.

Mere Assumptions

Through attorney Ardi Mulyanto, Candidate Pair No. 2 Edimin-Ahmad Fadli Tanjung (Relevant Party) said that the Petitioner didn’t elaborate clearly their arguments and the legal facts to support them. The Relevant Party believes that the Petitioner’s assertions were mere assumptions. Ardi added that the revote went smoothly under very strict supervision, so manipulation of data and facts at the TPSs couldn’t have occurred.

The Relevant Party rejected the notion of organized, significant influences outside the official organizers of the election that affected the revote on the premises of PT Torganda’s oil palm plantation. They also refuted the Petitioner’s allegation of a video that shows the Relevant Party campaigning among the community around the plantation in order to win all the votes at PT Torganda. They also denied having a connection with the owner of the company. The allegation that company leadership and staff members’ presence during the revote as a move to direct voters to vote for the Relevant Party was groundless, Ardi stressed.

Meanwhile, the South Labuhanbatu Bawaslu was represented by attorneys Ahmad Ajudin Harahap and colleagues. They explained that the regency’s Bawaslu hadn’t found any report or finding of violations from the local community regarding organized, significant external influences on the revote that could’ve had an impact on the revote on the premises of PT Torganda’s oil palm plantation.

Also read:

MK Holds the Preliminary Session of Regent Election Dispute of Labuhanbatu, South Labuhanbatu, and Asahan

General Election Commission (KPU) of Labuhanbatu and South Labuhanbatu Response in MK Court Hearing

South Labuhanbatu: Intimidation, Problematic DPT, to Vote Buying

Court Orders South Labuhanbatu KPU to Hold a Revote at 16 Polling Stations 

Hasnah-Kholil Question South Labuhanbatu Regency Revote Results

Writer        : Nano Tresna Arfana
Editor        : Nur R.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti
Editor        : R. A. Indah Apriyanti

Translation uploaded on 5/22/2021 20:41 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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