Prabowo's Legal Team Files Suit in Constitutional Court to Challenge Election Result
May 25, 2019 | 5:24 am
Jakarta. Attorneys for losing presidential candidate pair Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court on Friday night to challenge the result of last month's election.
"The head of the legal team is Bambang Widjojanto, a former leader of the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission]. He knows exactly how to fight in the Constitutional Court," campaign team spokesman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also Prabowo's brother, said at a press conference in South Jakarta on Friday.
Hashim said he would be coordinating the legal team.
Bambang's appointment is strategic. The seasoned human rights lawyer co-founded Indonesia Corruption Watch and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). Bambang, who is a highly respected figure, received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 1993 for his work to defend the rights of the indigenous people of West Papua.
He has previous Constitutional Court experience. Before his appointment as deputy KPK chairman, he represented antigraft agency deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah in a 2009 case involving a corruption investigation against Susno Duadji, former head of the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency. Police launched a counterattack by fabricating charges against the two, but they were exonerated in the end.
Hashim said earlier that the legal team was expected to arrive at the Constitutional Court building in Gambir, Central Jakarta, between 8.30 p.m. and 10 p.m., but they eventually only showed up at 10.35 p.m.
Hashim was accompanied by Bambang, Denny Indrayana – a former deputy justice minister – and Teuku Nasrullah – a lawyer and lecturer at the University of Indonesia.
"Eight lawyers have been appointed by Mr. Prabowo and Mr. Sandiaga to represent them in the election dispute," Bambang said at the court building on Friday night.
The remaining five in the team are Zulfadli, Dorel Almir, Iskandar Sonhadji, Iwan Satriawan and Lutfhi Yazid.
The team submitted 51 pieces of evidence to Constitutional Court clerk Muhidin, but Bambang said more would follow.
"This is the worst election in Indonesia since the country gained independence," he said.
Sandiaga said they opted to go to the Constitutional Court because "the Indonesian people demand it due to their disappointment with the election process."
"It's very hard to say that our elections proceeded smoothly, openly and fairly. We have received various reports from people who witnessed [electoral fraud] with their own eyes and experienced many injustices during the recent election," he said on Friday afternoon.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 14, while an evidentiary hearing will take place three days later. The court must make a ruling before June 28.
Tags: Keywords:
as a preferred
Related Articles
Gibran Remains Indonesia’s VP After Court Rejects Bid to Disqualify Him
VP Gibran defends his education credentials after Indonesia’s top court rejects a bid to disqualify him.
Your Unused Data May Still Be Gone: Indonesia Flags 156 Telecom Packages
Telkomsel, Indosat and XLSmart still rely on expiry notifications for 156 packages, falling short of the government’s quota protection requi
Petition Challenges VP Gibran’s Education Qualification for 2024 Election
Constitutional Court examines a petition challenging Vice President Gibran Rakabuming’s education qualification in the 2024 election.
Constitutional Court Bars Supporters From Reporting Alleged Insults Against President, VP
Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled that only the president or vice president can file complaints over alleged insults against them.
Indonesian Judge Challenges $17 Compensation for Long Flight Delays
A Constitutional Court justice questioned whether Indonesia's flight delay compensation adequately protects consumers.
Indonesia Must Find New Funding Source for Free Meals by 2028
Indonesia must find a new funding source for its flagship free meals program after a court barred using the education budget.
Court Forces Indonesia to Rework Free Meals Funding by 2028
Indonesia must rework funding for its free meals program by 2028 after a Constitutional Court ruling separates it from education spending.
Top Court Bars Free Meals Program From Using Education Budget
The free meals program does not constitute a core component of education and therefore should not be included in education spending.
Indonesia's Top Court Bans Telecom Operators from Expiring Unused Data
The Constitutional Court ruled that telecom operators must protect customers' unused mobile data and offer mechanisms to keep it valid.
Parties Can Be Barred from Elections If Women's Representation Falls Below 30%
The Constitutional Court ruled parties can be disqualified if female candidate representation falls below 30%.The Latest
Christiane Amanpour to Leave CNN After 43 Years
Her announcement came weeks after media corporation Paramount Skydance formally took over Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.
Indonesia Records Rp 1.54 Quadrillion in Investment Through September
Cumulative investment since President Prabowo Subianto took office on Oct. 20, 2024, had reached approximately Rp 3.92 quadrillion.
UN Boss Wants to Fix Security Council as Indonesia Seeks Seat
Outgoing UN chief Guterres says the current permanent member setup at the Security Council fails to reflect today's realities.
Saudi Flagship Investment Conference Pushed to 2027 after Houthi Attacks
The annual Future Investment Initiative (FII), often dubbed "Davos in the Desert", was originally scheduled to take place from October 26-29
Government Sets Aside Rp 1.3 Quadrillion for Final-Quarter Spending
Government spending has reached Rp 2.66 quadrillion, equivalent to 69.2% of the full-year budget target of Rp 3.84 quadrillion.Most Popular
