Analyst warns of possible fallout from election rift
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang
As the Constitutional Court prepares to hear a complaint filed by presidential candidate Wiranto and his running mate Solahuddin Wahid over alleged vote-rigging in the July 5 election, an analyst called on all sides to anticipate possible backlash arising from the court's decision.
Political observer Laode Ida suggested on Sunday that leaders from the Wiranto-Solahuddin camp and the Megawati Soekarnoputri- Hasyim Muzadi camp meet to renew their commitment to accept whatever decision the court makes.
"Both sides should meet and make a pledge that they will accept whatever decision is handed down by the Constitutional Court. Such a meeting could reduce the possibility of open conflict between their grassroots supporters," Laode said.
The Constitutional Court will hear on Monday a complaint filed last Thursday by Wiranto alleging that he lost a total of 5.4 million votes across the country.
The Wiranto camp also filed a judicial review with the Supreme Court over a General Elections Commission ruling declaring double-punched ballots valid.
The ruling contradicted Law No. 23/2003 on presidential elections, which declared double-punched ballots invalid.
According to the official vote tally, Wiranto, who was nominated by the Golkar Party, garnered 26.2 million votes in the presidential election. That left him behind Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who collected 38.8 million votes, and Megawati Soekarnoputri with 31.5 million votes, meaning Wiranto failed to qualify for the September runoff.
Wiranto claims that according to his camp's count, he finished second in the election with just over 100,000 votes more than incumbent President Megawati.
Constitutional Court president Jimly Asshiddiqie suggested on Saturday that Wiranto had a chance to move ahead of Megawati in the official tally if he could produce solid evidence of inaccuracies in the vote count.
Jimly held a private meeting with Wiranto last Thursday, the day the retired Army general submitted his complaint.
Megawati's camp urged the court on Sunday to maintain its neutrality.
A member of the central board of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Roy BB Janis, said the court had to maintain its integrity and avoid any outside interference in its affairs.
"Do not let the political interests of a certain party meddle in the decision-making process at the Constitutional Court," Roy was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said Megawati's camps had set up a special team to anticipate any possible fallout from the court's decision.
Pramono said that the team was led by the party's chief lawyer, Gayus Lumbun, and overseen by the secretary of Megawati's election team, Heri Akhmadi.
He was upbeat that Megawati's position in the July 5 poll would be confirmed by the court.
"We are optimistic that our data will match that of the General Elections Commission," he said.
Separately in Semarang, Central Java, the leader of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Hidayat Nurwahid, said on Sunday his party would endorse one of the two presidential candidates in the Sept. 20 runoff.
Hidayat said the party's central board would announce its endorsement after the Constitutional Court made a decision on Wiranto's complaint.
"The PKS is a political party, not a non-governmental or community organization. Therefore, we have to take part in the presidential election by selecting one of the candidates in the running," Hidayat said.
In the first round of the election the PKS endorsed Amien Rais, who finished fourth out of five candidates.