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.