Court confirms Susilo's victory

Court confirms Susilo's victory

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Constitutional Court confirmed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
election victory on Thursday as incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri
left the public guessing whether she would accept the result.

Megawati and running mate Hasyim Muzadi did not file any
complaint with the Constitutional Court by the 4:20 p.m deadline
on Thursday, prompting the court to declare the result announced
by the KPU last Monday as final and binding.

"The Constitutional Court confirms that the election result as
announced by KPU is final and binding. There is no more legal-
constitutional effort available to change the result," said court
president Jimly Asshiddiqie.

The KPU announced on Monday that Susilo and Yusuf Kalla had
won the runoff with 69.2 million or 60.68 percent of valid votes
cast in the Sept. 20 election, compared to Megawati's 39.38
percent.

Citing counting irregularities, Megawati's camp had planned to
file a complaint with the court, but by 4:20 p.m. on Thursday her
team of lawyers had not shown up.

Rumors have been circulating since Monday that Megawati would
make a public speech accepting defeat at 1 p.m. on Thursday, but
it did not materialize, leaving the public guessing whether or
not Mega would ever accept the result.

Her close aides said on Thursday that Megawati and Hasyim had
accepted the final outcome of the country's first direct
presidential election.

Pramono Anung Wibowo, deputy secretary-general of Megawati's
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said on Thursday
that Megawati had clearly accepted her defeat.

"The fact that we did not file a complaint with the
Constitutional Court means that Ibu sees that the process went on
as it should have," Pramono told The Jakarta Post.

"The main point is that Ibu Mega and Pak Hasyim want to see a
smooth transition of power and the installation of the new
president on Oct. 20 go ahead as planned," Pramono said.

One day after the KPU announced Susilo's election victory,
Megawati called on the public to accept the result, but still
refrained from conceding defeat.

Megawati's campaign team said on Thursday that they accepted
the result of the presidential runoff but expressed
disappointment over irregularities during vote counting in some
regions.

The team, headed by PDI-P secretary-general Sutjipto, said
that it would not bring the irregularities to the Constitutional
Court given the fact that the number of disputed votes was not
significant.

"We accept the poll result, but would like our comments noted.
We will not bring it to the Constitutional Court because the
disputed votes are estimated at only around 2.3 million,"
campaign team secretary Heri Akhmadi told the press here on
Thursday.

Sutjipto said that his team was not in a position to
congratulate Susilo.

He said he did not know when Megawati would deliver her speech
to accept her election defeat.

"That is a personal matter. I think Bu Megawati or Pak Hasyim
will give a response, congratulations, or something else. As a
campaign team, we think our statement is enough," he said.