Court tells Gus Dur and KPU to make peace over election case
Court tells Gus Dur and KPU to make peace over election case
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta
The Central Jakarta District Court offered on Thursday to mediate
talks between former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and
the General Elections Commission (KPU), who are engaged in a
legal battle over the commission's disqualification of Gus Dur
from the presidential election.
The talks would last a maximum of 22 days, in accordance with
the Criminal Law Procedures Code. The dispute would return to the
court for a legal settlement if the two parties were unable to
reach an amicable resolution.
During a hearing on Thursday, presiding judge Cicut Sutiarso
offered the two parties seven judges from the court who would be
available to mediate the talks: H. Hamdi, Agus Subroto, Aman
Barus, Abdullah, Mulyani, Sugito and Binsar Siregar.
Gus Dur's lawyer, Ikhsan Abdullah, originally asked that judge
Agus Subroto serve as the mediator. However, Agus will be on
leave for some 12 days in the Netherlands, which would have
hampered the mediation, so Cicut asked the two sides to consider
another mediator.
After some negotiation, the parties agreed on Binsar Siregar.
Cicut adjourned the trial until July 9 at the latest, at which
time the court will hear the results of the mediation.
Gus Dur filed a lawsuit late last month against the KPU, the
Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and the Ministry of Health
after he was disqualified from the July 5 presidential election
because of health reasons.
The former president, who was nominated by the National
Awakening Party (PKB), has impaired vision as a result of two
minor strokes.
Following his disqualification, the PKB threw its support
behind Golkar Party presidential candidate Wiranto and his
running mate Solahuddin Wahid, who is Gus Dur's brother.
The health requirements for presidential candidates were
jointly drawn up by the KPU and the IDI. The health ministry,
meanwhile, authorized the cooperation between commission and the
medical association.
Gus Dur has said that KPU Regulation No. 36/2004 on the health
requirements for presidential candidates is discriminatory and
violates human rights, while his disqualification from the
election breached Law No. 23/1992.
In filing his suit, Gus Dur demanded Rp 1 trillion (US$110
million) in nonmaterial damages and requested the court issue an
asset preservation order for properties owned by the KPU and the
IDI.
The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court earlier refused
to hear Gus Dur's demand for a judicial review of the KPU ruling
disqualifying him from the election.
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta
The Central Jakarta District Court offered on Thursday to mediate
talks between former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and
the General Elections Commission (KPU), who are engaged in a
legal battle over the commission's disqualification of Gus Dur
from the presidential election.
The talks would last a maximum of 22 days, in accordance with
the Criminal Law Procedures Code. The dispute would return to the
court for a legal settlement if the two parties were unable to
reach an amicable resolution.
During a hearing on Thursday, presiding judge Cicut Sutiarso
offered the two parties seven judges from the court who would be
available to mediate the talks: H. Hamdi, Agus Subroto, Aman
Barus, Abdullah, Mulyani, Sugito and Binsar Siregar.
Gus Dur's lawyer, Ikhsan Abdullah, originally asked that judge
Agus Subroto serve as the mediator. However, Agus will be on
leave for some 12 days in the Netherlands, which would have
hampered the mediation, so Cicut asked the two sides to consider
another mediator.
After some negotiation, the parties agreed on Binsar Siregar.
Cicut adjourned the trial until July 9 at the latest, at which
time the court will hear the results of the mediation.
Gus Dur filed a lawsuit late last month against the KPU, the
Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and the Ministry of Health
after he was disqualified from the July 5 presidential election
because of health reasons.
The former president, who was nominated by the National
Awakening Party (PKB), has impaired vision as a result of two
minor strokes.
Following his disqualification, the PKB threw its support
behind Golkar Party presidential candidate Wiranto and his
running mate Solahuddin Wahid, who is Gus Dur's brother.
The health requirements for presidential candidates were
jointly drawn up by the KPU and the IDI. The health ministry,
meanwhile, authorized the cooperation between commission and the
medical association.
Gus Dur has said that KPU Regulation No. 36/2004 on the health
requirements for presidential candidates is discriminatory and
violates human rights, while his disqualification from the
election breached Law No. 23/1992.
In filing his suit, Gus Dur demanded Rp 1 trillion (US$110
million) in nonmaterial damages and requested the court issue an
asset preservation order for properties owned by the KPU and the
IDI.
The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court earlier refused
to hear Gus Dur's demand for a judicial review of the KPU ruling
disqualifying him from the election.