Gus Dur sues KPU, govt and doctors<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid filed on Monday a civil suit against
\nthree institutions he deems responsible for disqualifying him
\nfrom the July 5 direct presidential election.<\/p>\n
A legal team of the former president and revered cleric filed
\nthe lawsuit on his behalf at the Central Jakarta District Court
\nagainst members of the General Elections Commission (KPU), the
\nMinistry of Health and the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI)
\nfor a whopping Rp 1 trillion (US$110 million) in nonmaterial
\ndamages.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur's legal team said the KPU's decision to disqualify Gus
\nDur from the presidential race upon the results of a health
\nexamination conducted by a team of doctors from Gatot Subroto
\nArmy Hospital, was in direct violation of Law No. 23\/1992 on
\nhealth.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Ikhsan Abdullah said a health examination was not
\nadequate to gauge whether or not someone could be declared
\nphysically fit to run for the presidency. \"The law clearly
\nstipulates that no examination is necessary to determine one's
\nhealth condition,\" Ikhsan said.<\/p>\n
The health examination criteria for presidential candidates
\nwere jointly drawn up by the KPU and the IDI.<\/p>\n
Ikhsan also said KPU Regulation No. 36\/2004 on qualifying
\ncandidates was discriminatory and constituted a violation of
\nhuman rights. \"We will also seek a judicial review by the Supreme
\nCourt on the ruling,\" he said, adding that the team would file a
\npetition for the review on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
When asked why the health ministry was included in the suit,
\nhe said the ministry was responsible for authorizing the
\ncooperation between the KPU and the IDI.<\/p>\n
In a departure from his usual open manner, Gus Dur declined to
\ncomment on the move. Immediately after handing the suit to the
\ncourt bailiff, he was rushed to an awaiting van that took him to
\nthe headquarters of Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in
\nMatraman, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The KPU declared on Sunday the five pairings that had
\nqualified for the presidential race, excluding Gus Dur and
\nrunning mate Marwah Daud Ibrahim, who were nominated by the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB).<\/p>\n
The five deemed fit to contest the election are: Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla under the Democratic Party
\nbanner, Gen. (ret) Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid under the Golkar
\nParty, incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim
\nMuzadi under the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),
\nAmien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo under the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) and incumbent Vice President Hamzah Haz and Lt. Gen.
\n(ret) Agum Gumelar under the United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti hailed Gus Dur's legal
\nmove, saying it was better than calling on his supporters to take
\nto the streets and resorting to violence.<\/p>\n
\"The KPU will not obstruct the move, because all disputes
\nshould be resolved through a legal process,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Wiranto's running mate and former human rights
\nactivist Solahuddin Wahid, who is Gus Dur's brother, said that
\nPKB should fulfill its promise to support the Golkar candidates
\nfollowing Gus Dur's disqualification.<\/p>\n
PKB leaders and a group of NU clerics agreed in their meeting
\nin Tuban, East Java earlier this month to support the duo of
\nWiranto-Solahuddin if Gus Dur was disqualified.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin, currently on a two-day tour to visit clerics of
\nNU-affiliated Islamic boarding schools, was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying in Semarang, Central Java, that he would utilize the
\npolitical network of the PKB and Golkar.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-sues-kpu-govt-and-doctors-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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