Prabowo's Victory Sealed: Rivals Game End or Game On?
The Constitutional Court has finalized the results of Indonesia's 2024 presidential election, confirming the victory of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as declared by the General Elections Commission (KPU). The court dismissed all petitions filed by the opposing camps of Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, asserting the legal soundness of the electoral process. "The petition is dismissed in its entirety," Constitutional Court Chief Justice Suhartoyo stated on Monday, Apr. 22.
The court's ruling found the allegations the Anies and Ganjar camps brought forth to be without merit. Claims of bias within the KPU and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and accusations of abuse of power by President Joko Widodo through the distribution of social assistance funds to influence the election were among the dismissed contentions.
Three out of the eight judges overseeing the case presented dissenting opinions. These dissenting judges—Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, Justices Enny Nurbaningsih, and Arief Hidayat—expressed concern over issues of fairness and equity in the electoral process, suggesting that the court should order a re-vote in certain areas. Despite the dissenting opinions, the final decision stood, affirming the results announced by the KPU.
Interestingly, Saldi Isra said that according to the constitution, the Constitutional Court is authorized not only to adjudicate the numbers or results of the vote count recapitulation but also to assess matters related to the election stages. However, he warned against using the court as a catch-all solution for all electoral issues, likening it to a "waste bin." Instead, he called for Bawaslu and other regulatory bodies to fulfill their duties effectively to ensure a fair and just election. "Political institutions, such as the House of Representatives [DPR], should not be handed off and should use its constitutional rights, such as the right of interpellation, the right of inquiry, and the right to express opinions," Saldi Isra said.