Constitutional Court Rejects Presidential Election Disputes: Prabowo-Gibran Victory Stands

TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – The Constitutional Court (MK) has dismissed all appeals regarding the disputed results of the 2024 presidential election (Pilpres). Both the petitions filed by the camps of Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD were rejected on Monday (April 22, 2024).

Consequently, candidate pair number 2, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, remains the winner as previously determined by the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Earlier on Monday afternoon, MK Chairman Suhartoyo read out the decision rejecting the petition submitted by candidate pair number 1, Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar (AMIN), registered under number 1/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024.

"In essence, the petition by the applicant is rejected in its entirety," said MK Chairman Suhartoyo, reading the decision on AMIN's petition on Monday afternoon.

Five Constitutional Court judges rejected the petition filed by candidate pair number 1, Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar (AMIN), regarding the presidential election disputes of 2024.

Meanwhile, three judges expressed dissenting opinions.

"There is a decision by the Constitutional Court a quo, there are dissenting opinions from three Constitutional Court judges, namely Constitutional Court Judges Saldi Isra, Enny Nurbaningsih, and Arief Hidayat," said MK Chairman Suhartoyo during the verdict reading session of the 2024 presidential election disputes at the Plenary Session Room of the Constitutional Court, Building of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Monday (April 22).

In their conclusion, the MK stated that the objections of the respondent, namely the KPU, and the objections of the related parties, namely candidate pair number 2, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, regarding the authority of the Constitutional Court, as well as the objections of the related parties regarding the time limit for submitting petitions and the legal standing, were legally unfounded.

Furthermore, the MK declared that it has the authority to adjudicate the petition a quo; the petitions were submitted within the specified time limit according to regulations; the petitioners have the legal standing to submit the petition a quo; objections of the respondent regarding the essence of the petition are legally unfounded; and the petitioner's petitions are legally unfounded in their entirety.

"In considering: objections, rejecting the objections of the respondent and related parties in their entirety. In essence, rejecting the petitioner's petition in its entirety," said Suhartoyo while reading the decision.

The verdict reading session of the dispute case filed by Anies-Muhaimin began at 09:00 WIB. The verdict was only read by MK Chairman Suhartoyo around 13.17 WIB.

Subsequently, in the afternoon, the MK read out the decision rejecting the petition submitted by candidate pair number 3, Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, registered under number 2/PHPU.PRES-XXII/2024.

"In essence, rejecting the petitioner's petition in its entirety," said the decision by the MK read by Suhartoyo regarding Ganjar-Mahfud's petition on Monday afternoon.

In these two cases, AMIN and Ganjar-Mahfud as the petitioners disagreed with the KPU's decision on March 20, which declared Prabowo-Gibran the winners of the 2024 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the KPU sat as the respondent and Prabowo-Gibran sat as the related parties.

The disputing parties regarding the results of the 2024 presidential election have submitted their conclusions. Moreover, the MK has also received dozens of amicus curiae submitted by various parties, including PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

It is noted that there were 48 Amicus Curiae submitted in this case as of Friday (April 19). This number is the highest in the history of the MK handling PHPU cases.

However, only 14 were considered by the MK during the Judges' Deliberation Meeting (RPH). The trial and RPH of the dispute over the results of the 2024 presidential election were attended by eight out of nine MK judges. This is because Constitutional Judge Anwar Usman was excluded due to potential conflicts of interest as the uncle of Vice Presidential candidate number 2, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Furthermore, the MK had previously stated that Anwar had committed serious ethical violations that allowed Gibran to participate in the 2024 presidential election.

In its decision, the MK also stated that the KPU as the respondent had taken steps in accordance with regulations in following up on the MK decision to amend the requirements for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The MK also stated that the argument alleging nepotism and "cawe-cawe" from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding the emergence of the MK decision to amend the age requirements for presidential and vice-presidential candidates was legally unfounded.

The MK also stated that no party objected after Prabowo-Gibran was declared as presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The MK also stated that there was no evidence of Jokowi's "cawe-cawe" that Anies-Cak Imin presented in their petition compared to Prabowo-Gibran's vote count.

Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo Respond

Presidential candidate number 01 Anies Baswedan responded to the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) to reject all appeals regarding the disputed results of the presidential election filed by his side. He mentioned that his team would prepare more detailed points regarding the MK's decision.

"We listened to the decision from the MK earlier. So, this afternoon, we will provide a statement regarding the decision," said Anies to reporters at the Constitutional Court Building, Central Jakarta, Monday (April 22, 2024).

"And give us time to prepare several points that will be our response to the decision," he continued.

Meanwhile, Presidential candidate number 3 Ganjar Pranowo admitted to accepting the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) to reject his appeal regarding the dispute over the 2024 presidential election. Ganjar congratulated Prabowo-Gibran as the winners of the presidential election.

"Myself and Mr. Mahfud are living just for today, the end of a journey, so whatever the decision is, we agree to accept it, we accept it, and of course, we congratulate the winner and hopefully the nation's future problems can be resolved soon," said Ganjar at the Constitutional Court building, Central Jakarta, Monday (April 22, 2024).

Ganjar said the process in the MK had proceeded accordingly. He also expressed his gratitude for the support of volunteers and the public.

The former Governor of Central Java also expressed appreciation for the MK. Moreover, he stated that there were dissenting opinions within the MK's decision.

"I appreciate the panel of judges, who first received this process from the beginning, then heard it, until then it was decided and there was a dissenting opinion," he explained.

"What is interesting in our records is that the dissenting opinion stated that the objections raised were rejected," he added.

rejecting the petition for the dispute over the results of the 2024 presidential election filed by Ganjar-Mahfud. Initially, the MK stated that it had the authority to adjudicate the petition filed by Ganjar-Mahfud. MK judges did not read the detailed points of consideration in this decision.

The MK stated that the considerations in this decision were related to the considerations in the decision regarding the lawsuit from Anies-Muhaimin. The MK mentioned that the detailed considerations could be read in the complete decision file that would be submitted after the trial. The MK stated that the petitioner's petition was legally unfounded and rejected the entire petition from Ganjar-Mahfud.

"Rejecting the petitioner's petition in its entirety," said MK Chairman Suhartoyo during the trial at the Constitutional Court Building. (*)

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