Prabowo's legal team files suit in Constitutional Court to challenge election result

Source: 
Jakarta Globe
Publication date: 
May 25 2019

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.

Whisnu Bagus Prasetyo & Yeremia Sukoyo & Christian Lee

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/context/prabowos-legal-team-files-suit-in-consti...