Court completes hearings into electoral disputes

Court completes hearings into electoral disputes

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta

The recently-established Constitutional Court wrapped up its
electoral dispute work on Monday by handing down rulings in the
last of 273 electoral disputes arising out of the April 5
legislative elections.

The final disputes concerned political parties and candidates
for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). A total of 24
parties competed in the election for the DPD, a new body whose
members are directly elected. Each province is represented by
four DPD members making the council a 128-strong chamber.

Of the disputes, the court handed down 38 decisions that
affected the number of seats of political parties in the House of
Representatives and a number of provincial and regental
legislatures.

The court also awarded seats to two losing DPD candidates.

Four political parties gained additional seats in the House at
the expense of other political parties. The Prosperous Peace
Party (PDS) took an additional seat in the West Irian Jaya
constituency after winning its dispute with the Democratic Party.

In Papua, the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) had to
let go of one seat in the House to the Pioneer Party, while in
West Kalimantan, the Reform Star Party (PBR) took one seat from
the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK).

The National Mandate Party (PAN), which hoped to take an
additional 20 seats in the House by filing complaints with the
court, only got one seat, in Central Sulawesi, at the expense of
the Democratic Party.

In total, PAN obtained eight additional legislative seats at
all levels, the same number as the Muslim-based Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS), making them the two political parties that
secured the most additional seats based upon the decisions of the
court.

The Pioneer Party, PAN, Concern for the Nation Functional
Party, the United Development Party and the Democratic Party each
gained an additional one provincial council seat in five
provinces.

The court also ordered that 29 disputed seats at regental or
municipal council level should be distributed among 11 political
parties.

Court President Jimly Asshidiqie said that the court managed
to deliver timely verdicts despite it being "our first foray into
the electoral dispute field. We hope that in the presidential
election all the contenders will be well-prepared when presenting
their cases," he said.

Jimly said that in resolving the disputes arising out of the
legislative elections, the court had spent Rp 1.5 billion
(US$150,000) out of its funding allocation of Rp 5.4 billion.