KPU Chairman Hasyim Asy'ari delivering a press conference after the hearing of Presidential PHPU at the Constitutional Court, Jakarta, on Thursday (3/28/2024). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The legal team of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates Number 2 Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka said general election results dispute (PHPU) petitions by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates Number 1 Anies Rasyid Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar (case No. 1/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024) and Number 2 Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD (case No.  2/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024) are misdirected.For instance, the eligibility of Vice Presidential Candidate number 03, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, should have been scrutinized during the initial stages of the 2024 Election, rather than being brought before the Constitutional Court.

"The focus of this case has been misdirected; the discussion primarily revolved around Gibran Rakabuming Raka's candidacy, which is an issue that should have been addressed long ago. It's perplexing why it's only being raised now," stated Yakub Hasibuan, attorney for Prabowo-Gibran, in a press briefing following the hearing concerning the delivery of responses from the KPU (Respondent), statements from Related Parties, and statements from the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at the Plenary Court Room of the Constitutional Court in Jakarta. The session was adjourned at 16:34 WIB for the breaking of fast and resumed at 19:30 WIB.

Yakub Hasibuan (son of Otto Hasibuan), further argued that the Petitioner's contention regarding social assistance (bansos) was irrelevant. According to him, the distribution of social aid by the administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) bears no relevance to the surge in votes for candidate 02.

Another legal counsel of Prabowo-Gibran, Yuri Kemal Fadlullah, said that the Constitutional Court is not intended as a platform for disqualifying presidential candidates. Additionally, he deemed the argument presented by Paslon Ganjar-Mahfud, claiming candidate number 03 received zero votes, as unreasonable.

"Can the Constitutional Court nullify over 90 million votes in their entirety?" questioned Yuri (son of Yusril Ihza Mahendra). Both Yusril and Otto are part of the legal team representing Prabowo-Gibran.

Also read:

Anies-Muhaimin File Petition on Dispute Over Presidential Election Results

Ganjar-Mahfud File Petition on Dispute Over Presidential Election Results

On the other hand, the General Election Commission (KPU) as the Respondent provided answers to cases No. 1/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024 and No. 2/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024 on the presidential PHPU. According to KPU's legal counsel, Hifdzil Alim, Candidate pair number 01 Anies Rasyid Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Candidate pair number 03 Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD did not contest the dispute over the vote results in the Presidential PHPU petition.

"So, the Petitioner (candidate pair) Number 01 and Number 03 did not at all postulate a dispute over the vote results," Hifdzil said in a press conference.

He stressed that the petitioners of both alleged that there had been structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations, which do not fall under the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction but Bawaslu’s. Meanwhile, KPU Chairman Hasyim Asy'ari stated that the KPU has requested the Constitutional Court to affirm the validity and applicability of  KPU Decree No. 360 of 2024 on the Stipulation of General Election Results for President and Vice President, House of Representatives (DPR) and Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and Regency/City DPRD nationally in the 2024 General Election."

"KPU, as the Respondent, has petitioned the Constitutional Court to affirm the correctness and validity of KPU Decree Number 360 of 2024, issued on March 20, 2024," stated Hasyim.

Author : Mimi Kartika
Editor : Nur R.
Translator : Yuniar Widiastuti (RA)

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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