Political elites urged to solve election disputes through MK

Ten former commissioners of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) called upon Indonesia's political elites here on Saturday to support constitutional steps taken to resolve disputed election results, instead of provoking the public. 

"The political elites should ideally display their statesmanship, and portray themselves as good examples for the people. Therefore, they should not be provocative for the sake of instant political interests," one of the former commissioners, M.Ridha Saleh, said.

The rights commission's ex-commissioners gathered in Jakarta to show their concern with the recent riots that erupted in the Tanah Abang area of Central Jakarta following the disbursement of peaceful demonstrators who protested the presidential election results.

Ridha said the political elites need to support those taking constitutional measures to solve the disputed election results by filing lawsuits at the Constitutional Court (MK).

The community members should also be mature and wise in receiving information circulated through media so that they are not provoked by fake news. They must also be wise in dealing with the different political choices in the recent elections, he said.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) had announced the final results of the recent parliamentary and presidential elections, detailing the victory of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Ma'ruf Amin pair on early Tuesday (May 21).

The final tally that the KPU announced at around 1:28 a.m. indicated the Jokowi- Amin pair had secured 85 million votes, or 55.5 percent of the national vote, as compared to contenders Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno's 68 million votes, or 44.5 percent.

The Jokowi-Amin pair had declared victory, while the Prabowo-Sandi pair rejected the KPU's official tabulation result and vowed to challenge it by filing an official complaint with the Constitutional Court.

This unfinished political process sparked a mass protest from the Prabowo-Sandi pair's supporters, who alleged massive fraud in the presidential elections.

Tensions arose and led to a riot in the Tanah Abang area of Central Jakarta from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning.

The post-election riot claimed eight lives and 541 injuries, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said.

(INE)