On Tuesday 4 August the second and third winners of the Presidential Election on 8 July have presented their complaints with the Constitutional Court (MK).
Both of them, Megawati and Jusuf Kalla, claimed that there has been foul plays in the election i.e. existence of millions of fake votes making the election results illegitimate, therefore a second round of election should be held.
However, they both claimed that each of them should be the second winner of the election, therefore eligible to run for the second election.
On 23 July, the General Election Commission (KPU) announced that incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) won with 73,874,562 votes (60.8%), Megawati came in second with 32,548,105 votes (26.8%), and Jusuf Kalla third with 15,081,814 votes (12.4%).
The Presidential Election Law requires a candidate to win 51% of the votes, otherwise a second election must be held.
Both Megawati and Kalla teams said that their goal in disputing the results was to force a Second Election and hope to win there.
For details on the above, please click here.
Considering the above, I hope that MK would not pass a decision that would lead to a Second Election, thus avoiding additional waste of taxpayers’ money. However, if Second Election should be held, I hope that all the parties would be willing to accept whatever the result.
Showing posts with label KPU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KPU. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
After the Elections
On 25 July, incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) & former Central Bank Governor Boediono have officially been announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) as the President elect/Vice President elect for 2009-2014.
If everything goes fine, they will both be inducted as President & Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on 20 October 2009.
However, the current political developments in Indonesia shows that the road ahead might not be smooth for both of them. Here are the obstacles that they might face:
1) Rival candidate President/Vice President: Megawati/Prabowo & Jusuf Kalla/Wiranto are very unsatisfied with the result of Presidential election on 8 July, and they have filed complaints with the Constitutional Court (MK). There are several grounds for complaints, but the significant one being irregularities in the Permanent Voters Lists (DPT). In this case, MK Chief Mahfud MD has stated that if there is evidence massive foul play, a new election can be held.
2) Last week the Supreme Court (MA) passed a judicial review which cancelled KPU regulation regarding distribution of seats in the national Parliament (DPR), as a result more than 60 seats will be shifted from six smaller parties: PKS, PKB, PAN, PPP, Gerindra and Hanura, to 3 major parties: Democrat Party, Golkar and PDI-P.
For details on the above (in bahasa Indonesia), please click here, here, here and here.
Considering the above mentioned facts, I felt that all irregularities during the elections should be settled immediately by MK, in which case all parties involved should be willing to accept whatever decision that will be made.
Regarding MA's Judicial Review, all parties including KPU and the political parties should seat together and work things out based on the best interest of our country, therefore they should shed away their individual ego.
If everything goes fine, they will both be inducted as President & Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on 20 October 2009.
However, the current political developments in Indonesia shows that the road ahead might not be smooth for both of them. Here are the obstacles that they might face:
1) Rival candidate President/Vice President: Megawati/Prabowo & Jusuf Kalla/Wiranto are very unsatisfied with the result of Presidential election on 8 July, and they have filed complaints with the Constitutional Court (MK). There are several grounds for complaints, but the significant one being irregularities in the Permanent Voters Lists (DPT). In this case, MK Chief Mahfud MD has stated that if there is evidence massive foul play, a new election can be held.
2) Last week the Supreme Court (MA) passed a judicial review which cancelled KPU regulation regarding distribution of seats in the national Parliament (DPR), as a result more than 60 seats will be shifted from six smaller parties: PKS, PKB, PAN, PPP, Gerindra and Hanura, to 3 major parties: Democrat Party, Golkar and PDI-P.
For details on the above (in bahasa Indonesia), please click here, here, here and here.
Considering the above mentioned facts, I felt that all irregularities during the elections should be settled immediately by MK, in which case all parties involved should be willing to accept whatever decision that will be made.
Regarding MA's Judicial Review, all parties including KPU and the political parties should seat together and work things out based on the best interest of our country, therefore they should shed away their individual ego.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Election Winners
Note : Left: SBY - Right: BoedionoOn Thursday, 23 July 2009, the General Election Commission (KPU) officially announced the final result of counting of ballots in the Presidential Election on 8 July 2009.
As predicted by political analysts & the media, the result turns out to be not so different compared to the Quick Counts results, as follows:
1) Candidates President/VP: Susilo Bambang Yudoyono(SBY)/Boediono: 73.874.562(60.80%)
2) Candidates President/VP: Megawati/Prabowo: 32.548.105 (26,79%).
3) Candidates President/VP: Jusuf Kalla/Wiranto: 15.081.814 (12.41%).
Note: Listed Voters = 121,504,481 Abstain = 49.212.158 (27,77%)
This landslide victory has no doubt makes SBY the most powerful man in Indonesia, therefore should be very confident in leading our country in the next five years. However, SBY’s Democrat Party only got 20% of seats in parliament (DPR), therefore must heavily rely on the supports of his coalition partners i.e. PKS, PKB, PAN, PPP which have Islamic orientations, plus 24 tiny parties. Considering this fact, SBY and his party have approached the major nationalistic parties i.e. Golkar & PDIP but with no progress so far. Instead, both parties are now complaining with the Constitutional Court (MK)about alleged foul play in the Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
According to MK's chief Mahfud MD, the election result can be annuled if the court finds two things. First, there is strong evidence of sistimatic & massive foul play. Secondly, after clarification of the "clean" vote, the winning candidates only get less then 50% of the total eligible votes.
Perhaps that’s why SBY was so upset when he told the media after the bomb blasts last Friday, that the explosions were related to the elections results and have been done by Draculas and Spreaders of Death who have killed and make people disappeared in the past but untouched by the law. Many people thought that this statement is aimed at Megawati's running mate Prabowo, former commander of the army's special forces, and the army's strategic commando who has faced such accusation in the past. But later on, SBY denied this allegation when he met with Prabowo last Monday.
For details on the above, please click here, here, here and here.
Let us wait and hope that our leaders will eventually give priority to the best interests of our country and people, therefore settle their differences or at least have them narrowed.
Photo: Courtesy of OkeZone
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Open Election Campaign
On Monday, 16 March, 2,200 members of 38 political parties gathered at Kemayoran Convention Hall, Jakarta, to begin the open campaign for General Election on 9 April, during which party leaders pledged to conduct campaigns peacefully.
In spite of this fact, the General Election Commission (KPU) has still no clear agenda for the open campaign, therefore causing confusion among the political parties.
According to The Jakarta Post, actually KPU has announced last Friday that four political parties may conduct open campaign on the same day. But due to protest from contestants KPU will revise the schedule. For which purpose it will meet political parties on Wednesday to talk about revision of schedule that will allow each party to conduct two open rallies in every province.
Meanwhile, The Jakarta Globe reported that President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono has warned state officials contesting as candidates in the election not to abuse their power during the campaign period.
Further, Kompas reported that during the gathering on Monday, some political parties have involved children. This is a clear violation of the General Election Law No. 10/2008 Article 84 Paragraph 2 that forbids involvement people, who are ineligible to vote during the campaign. Punishment for violations will be up to 12 months imprisonment and fine of up to Rp 60 million.
Although past experience shows that pledge made by political party leaders did not guarantee a peaceful campaign, especially now that the schedule is still unclear, however, I still have high hopes that this time all the parties concerned would avoid any possibility of conflicts among them.
In spite of this fact, the General Election Commission (KPU) has still no clear agenda for the open campaign, therefore causing confusion among the political parties.
According to The Jakarta Post, actually KPU has announced last Friday that four political parties may conduct open campaign on the same day. But due to protest from contestants KPU will revise the schedule. For which purpose it will meet political parties on Wednesday to talk about revision of schedule that will allow each party to conduct two open rallies in every province.
Meanwhile, The Jakarta Globe reported that President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono has warned state officials contesting as candidates in the election not to abuse their power during the campaign period.
Further, Kompas reported that during the gathering on Monday, some political parties have involved children. This is a clear violation of the General Election Law No. 10/2008 Article 84 Paragraph 2 that forbids involvement people, who are ineligible to vote during the campaign. Punishment for violations will be up to 12 months imprisonment and fine of up to Rp 60 million.
Although past experience shows that pledge made by political party leaders did not guarantee a peaceful campaign, especially now that the schedule is still unclear, however, I still have high hopes that this time all the parties concerned would avoid any possibility of conflicts among them.
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