Court completes hearings into electoral disputes<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recently-established Constitutional Court wrapped up its
\nelectoral dispute work on Monday by handing down rulings in the
\nlast of 273 electoral disputes arising out of the April 5
\nlegislative elections.<\/p>\n
The final disputes concerned political parties and candidates
\nfor the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). A total of 24
\nparties competed in the election for the DPD, a new body whose
\nmembers are directly elected. Each province is represented by
\nfour DPD members making the council a 128-strong chamber.<\/p>\n
Of the disputes, the court handed down 38 decisions that
\naffected the number of seats of political parties in the House of
\nRepresentatives and a number of provincial and regental
\nlegislatures.<\/p>\n
The court also awarded seats to two losing DPD candidates.<\/p>\n
Four political parties gained additional seats in the House at
\nthe expense of other political parties. The Prosperous Peace
\nParty (PDS) took an additional seat in the West Irian Jaya
\nconstituency after winning its dispute with the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
In Papua, the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) had to
\nlet go of one seat in the House to the Pioneer Party, while in
\nWest Kalimantan, the Reform Star Party (PBR) took one seat from
\nthe Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK).<\/p>\n
The National Mandate Party (PAN), which hoped to take an
\nadditional 20 seats in the House by filing complaints with the
\ncourt, only got one seat, in Central Sulawesi, at the expense of
\nthe Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
In total, PAN obtained eight additional legislative seats at
\nall levels, the same number as the Muslim-based Prosperous
\nJustice Party (PKS), making them the two political parties that
\nsecured the most additional seats based upon the decisions of the
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
The Pioneer Party, PAN, Concern for the Nation Functional
\nParty, the United Development Party and the Democratic Party each
\ngained an additional one provincial council seat in five
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
The court also ordered that 29 disputed seats at regental or
\nmunicipal council level should be distributed among 11 political
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Court President Jimly Asshidiqie said that the court managed
\nto deliver timely verdicts despite it being \"our first foray into
\nthe electoral dispute field. We hope that in the presidential
\nelection all the contenders will be well-prepared when presenting
\ntheir cases,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jimly said that in resolving the disputes arising out of the
\nlegislative elections, the court had spent Rp 1.5 billion
\n(US$150,000) out of its funding allocation of Rp 5.4 billion.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-completes-hearings-into-electoral-disputes-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}