Wiranto challenges election result<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Bandung<\/p>\n
Wiranto and running-mate Solahuddin Wahid filed a complaint with
\nthe Constitutional Court on Thursday, claiming that they lost 3.4
\nmillion votes due to inaccuracies and inconsistencies in vote-
\ncounting after the July 5 election.<\/p>\n
They also requested a judicial review of a General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) ruling declaring double-punctured ballots valid.<\/p>\n
"We have filed a request with the Supreme Court and the
\nConstitutional Court to settle several inaccuracies in the poll
\nresults," Wiranto told a news conference on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, Wiranto's lawyers submitted the complaint to
\nthe Constitutional Court, while Wiranto held a private meeting
\nwith the court's president, Jimly Asshidiqie.<\/p>\n
The complaint was received by court cleric Ahmad Fadlil
\nZumadi.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Yan Djuanda said inaccurate vote-counting took place in
\n26 of the country's 32 provinces, including East Java, West Java,
\nYogyakarta, North Sulawesi and Bali.<\/p>\n
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won in East Java and Yogyakarta,
\nwhile Megawati Soekarnoputri won in Bali and West Java.<\/p>\n
Yan claimed that Wiranto lost 1,038,855 votes in West Java and
\n963 votes in South Sulawesi. Golkar, which nominated Wiranto, won
\nin both West Java and South Sulawesi in the April 5 legislative
\nelection.<\/p>\n
In the capital Jakarta, Wiranto, according to Yan, lost
\n348,878 votes, while in East and Central Java he lost 768,339 and
\n752,552 votes respectively.<\/p>\n
"If the court accepts the complaint, Pak Wiranto will come
\nsecond with 122,344 votes more than Megawati," Yan said.<\/p>\n
According to the tally announced by the General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) on Monday, Wiranto garnered only 26.2 million
\nvotes, trailing behind Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who got 39.8
\nmillion, and Megawati Soekarnoputri with 31.5 million votes.<\/p>\n
Article 68 of the Presidential Election Law stipulates that
\npresidential candidates can file complaints with the
\nConstitutional Court regarding the results of the election no
\nlater than three days after the election results are officially
\nmade public.<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Court has to issue a final and binding
\nverdict no later than 14 days after the complaints are submitted.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said he had learned of the 3.4 million lost votes when
\nscrutinizing election documents from eight provinces, including
\nEast Java, West Java, Banten and Lampung.<\/p>\n
"The findings show a systematic pattern of violations," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said his camp hoped that the Supreme Court would issue
\na legal opinion on the issuance of a KPU circular issued on
\nvoting day.<\/p>\n
The KPU hastily issued a circular on July 5 after learning
\nthat voters across the country had unintentionally punctured two
\nholes in ballot papers.<\/p>\n
According to the Presidential Election Law, double-punctured
\nballot papers are invalid. The KPU circular, however, declared
\ndoubled-perforated ballots valid if the punctures were on only
\none set of candidates.<\/p>\n
"We can not accept the fact that a KPU circular can revised
\nthe law. We hope the Supreme Court will soon issue a fatwa," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to Wiranto, the KPU must recount the votes if the
\nSupreme Court declared the commission's circular invalid.<\/p>\n
He said the request was filed with the Supreme Court last
\nFriday and the request to the Constitutional Court on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the issuance of the circular resulted in
\ninconsistent vote-counting. Manipulation of votes occurred in
\nseveral provinces, he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) leader Hidayat
\nNurwahid said in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday that his party
\nwould support a presidential candidate who rejected militarism,
\nupheld the reform agenda and fought corruption.<\/p>\n
Hidayat said his party was in intense talks with all
\npresidential and vice presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
"Since it's still in process, it would not be wise to announce
\nanything publicly. We will extend our support to someone who
\nupholds the reform agenda," Hidayat announced at Daarut Tauhid
\nIslamic boarding school.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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