Court issues first verdict in interparty dispute<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) gained an additional seat in
\nthe House of Representatives on Monday thanks to the
\nConstitutional Court's first verdict in an interparty election
\ndispute trial.<\/p>\n
A total of 287 election suits have been filed by 23 political
\nparties and Regional Representatives Council candidates with the
\ncourt, which must resolve all disputes by June 20. Only the
\nIndonesia Nahdlatul Community Party (PPNUI) did not file a suit.<\/p>\n
On Monday a panel of nine judges ruled that the Christian-
\nbased PDS garnered a total of 30,812 votes in West Papua province
\nin the April 5 legislative election, compared to the General
\nElections Commission (KPU)'s tally of 23,412 for the party.<\/p>\n
\"The KPU failed to count as many as 7,400 votes the party
\ngarnered in Sorong regency,\" Constitutional Court chairman Jimly
\nAsshidiqie said.<\/p>\n
The verdict gave the PDS a total of 13 seats in the House. The
\ndecision also meant the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK)
\nlost one of its five seats in the House. The party did not
\ncontest the verdict.<\/p>\n
Amir Syamsuddin, who represented the KPU in the dispute, said
\nthe commission would soon execute the court's decision, which is
\nfinal and binding.<\/p>\n
The court, however, rejected 11 other election lawsuits filed
\nby the PDS because of lack of evidence or for administrative
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
It did grant two petitions filed by the Golkar Party
\nconcerning the North Aceh and Muaro Jambi regencies. The court
\nsaid the KPU made a mistake in the ballot count at Electoral
\nDistrict 6 in North Aceh.<\/p>\n
According to the court, Golkar received 1,489 more votes in
\nNorth Aceh then it was credited for in the KPU's tally of 8,954
\nvotes.<\/p>\n
It also said that Golkar received 11,199 votes in Electoral
\nDistrict 2 in Muaro Jambi regency, not the 10,668 announced by
\nthe KPU.<\/p>\n
The verdicts gave Golkar one seat each in the North Aceh and
\nMuaro Jambi regency legislatures.<\/p>\n
The court, however, rejected Golkar's claim that it should
\nreceive four additional seats in the House from the Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam, North Sumatra, Central Sulawesi and South Sulawesi
\nelectoral districts because of administrative errors.<\/p>\n
The court also rejected eight suits filed by the Indonesian
\nJustice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), the PPDK and the
\nIndonesian Unity Party (PSI) because of administrative matters.<\/p>\n
According to Jimly, the three parties failed to provide
\nsufficient evidence and did not follow administrative procedures
\nwhen filing the suits. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Jumhur Hidayat, the secretary-general of the PSI, expressed
\ndisappointment over the verdict, saying the court failed to live
\nup to its duty.<\/p>\n
\"We will hold a rally soon. They didn't do their job properly.
\nThey didn't examine our evidence,\" he said after the hearing.<\/p>\n
The settlement of electoral disputes in the Constitutional
\nCourt is a new phenomenon for the country, which adopted new
\nsystems for both the legislative and presidential elections this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The court had warned that its verdicts in electoral disputes
\ncould change seat distributions in the legislative bodies.<\/p>\n
It has asked both the police and the leaders of the 24
\npolitical parties that contested the April 5 legislative election
\nto encourage people to accept the court's decisions.<\/p>",
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