Chief Justice Anwar Usman giving a keynote speech and officially opening a workshop on the 2024 election results disputes for KPU batch I on Monday (9/4/2023) at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Bogor. Photo by MKRI/Panji.

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BOGOR (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court held a workshop on the procedural law for the 2024 General Election Results Dispute (PHPU) from Monday to Thursday, September 4-7, 2023 at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center (Pusdik) in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java Province. The workshop was typically held for political parties, but this time it was for members of the provincial or regency/city KPU (General Elections Commission). Chief Justice Anwar Usman officially opened workshop for KPU Batch I on Monday evening, September 4.

“We must accept risk, be ready to be reviled, cursed by anyone, especially people whose interests are not served, whose goals are not achieved. So, the KPU and the Court inevitably have to accept such risks,” he said in response to the KPU’s welcome remarks. 

He also said that the recent situation is always connected to the general election. Things can change unexpectedly and quickly. “And maybe, when we are talking here, there will be changes again. All of that leads to February 14, 2024,” he added.

He also reiterated his independence and neutrality. “I have often said since the first workshop that positions in this world actually belong to Allah SWT, God Almighty. People who always sell ideas and views during elections are nothing more than people who promise, and that promise is debt. And the people who break a promise are hypocrites. However, this is a fact of the democratic festival,” he explained.

Chief Justice Anwar said that the KPU as an election organizer is required to be accountable for its duties according to the mechanisms regulated in statutory laws and regulations. He urged the workshop participants to provide strong evidence when they go to trial in the Constitutional Court.

“Who told you to become KPU members? Who told you to be a constitutional justice? Frankly, in this position, I have always prioritized my conscience. The prophet Muhammad also said that if Fatimah was caught stealing, he himself would cut off her hands,” he explained before 80 participants of the workshop.

Previously, KPU chairman Hasyim Asy’ari delivered his remarks before Chief Justice Anwar Usman, thanking the Constitutional Court for facilitating the KPU members to prepare for the upcoming 2024 Election. “The KPU is always in the position of the reported in Bawaslu, the plaintiff in DKPP, the plaintiff in PTUN and the Supreme Court, and the respondent in the Constitutional Court. Hopefully we will never become suspects, defendants, and convicts,” he said.

Hasyim also said that in order to avoid abuse of power and authority, a number of institutions, instruments, and procedures have been prepared to control the KPU’s performance to stay within its duties and authority. Therefore, the Constitution prepares institutions such as Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), Election Organizer Ethics Council (DKPP), the State Administrative Court (PTUN), the Supreme Court, and—lastly—the Constitutional Court to supervise the KPU.

“So, in a modern state of law and modern democracy, general and regional elections are conflict areas that are considered legitimate and legal for gaining power and also, at the same time, for those who are in power to maintain their power. Institutions have prepared in the event of conflicts. It is all none other than to achieve an election that has integrity, both in the process and the results, for which the Constitution has prepared a guardian, namely the Constitutional Court,” he explained.

The KPU has also prepared itself mentally to face the disputes. The most important thing is that it has prepared itself to work professionally based on the law, carefully, effectively, accountably, and transparently. “Therefore, within that framework, the KPU has prepared three rounds and the coordination to identify, as well as anticipated potential disputes for justice seekers related to determination of political party, general election participants, and the determination of the permanent candidate list that can be disputed to Bawaslu and to the PTUN,” he explained.

Before ending his remarks, Hasyim urged the workshop participants to prepare a solid defense and work optimally, professionally, and carefully based on the available procedure and to work accountably and transparently. This is because the KPU is the only party to be sued in the upcoming general/regional election.

Author       : Panji Erawan
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Nyi Mas Laras Nur Inten Kemalasari/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian versions, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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