Analyst warns of possible fallout from election rift
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.