Palembang losers file lawsuit with MK

Ansyor Idrus and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Palembang/Makassar | Archipelago | Thu, April 18 2013, 8:27 AM

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The team behind a defeated pair of candidates in the Palembang mayoral election filed a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court (MK) against the Palembang General Elections Commission (KPUD) for alleged cheating.

“We found anomalies in the number of votes considered legitimate by the KPUD and those collected by the candidate pairs,” Ilias Panji Alam from the Romi Herton–Harnojoyo camp told a press briefing in Palembang on Tuesday evening.

Three pairs of candidates ran in the mayoral elections held on Sunday. Pair number 3 — Sarimuda-Nelly — won the most votes with 316,923 or 43.316 percent overall, just eight votes more than candidate pair number 2 — Romi Herton-Harnojoyo — who won 316,915 or 43.314 percent. Candidate pair number 1 —Mularis Djahri-Husni Thamrin — won only 97,810 votes or 13.368 percent of the total votes.

Ilias said that the number of votes that the KPUD should have calculated was 730,648 but the candidates got 731,648 votes.

“When we questioned the anomaly, the computer operator hastily adjusted the figures according to the total number collected by the candidate pairs,” Ilias said.

He added that he was currently tracing the anomalies to see if it happened at the district, subdistrict or neighborhood unit level.

The camp’s secretary Anton Noerdin asked the KPUD to halt the election process until the court responded.

“We also plan to file the same lawsuit to the KPUD honorary council and to the police,” he said.

In response, Palembang KPUD chairwoman Eftiani said she was ready to face the lawsuit.

“We have given all candidates an opportunity to file lawsuits against the result of the vote counting with the MK up to three days after the counting was completed,” she said.

Political observer Febrian of Sriwijaya University said that it was possible that cheating was committed. “The MK usually will see if alleged cheating is done systematically and massively,” he said.

According to quick counts conducted by the Celebes Research Center, in South Sulawesi, incumbent Nurdin Abdullah and running mate Muhammad Yasin are pegged to win the Bantaeng regency election while candidate with 83 percent of the vote. While Sabirin Yahya — Fajar Yanwar won 32 percent in the Sinjai election, assuring that both regencies would likely only have one round of elections.

The center’s executive director Herman Heizer said that in Bantaeng the survey was conducted in 100 out of the total 361 polling stations (TPS). In Sinjai, the survey was conducted in 150 TPS.

The vote recapitulation in both regencies was scheduled for April 22-24.

Separately in Semarang, Central Java, some 1,000 male inmates and 135 female inmates currently serving their jail terms in the Kedungpane and Bulu Penitentiaries are eager to participate in the May 26 gubernatorial election.

“I am a resident of Central Java. I will vote. This will be my first time to vote while in prison,” said Eko, a drug felon.

Over 27 million voters are expected to vote on May 26 in nearly 62,000 TPS across Central Java. Three pairs of candidates will run for the gubernatorial race. They are Hadi Prabowo — Don Murdono, incumbent Bibit Waluyo — Sudijono Sastroatmodjo and Ganjar Pranowo — Heru Sudjatmoko.

Suherdjoko contributed to this story from Semarang

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