Bawaslu Rejects Report Of Alleged Fraud By Eri Cahyadi About Risma's Letter, PDIP As Strong Evidence To Face In The Constitutional Court

Eri Cahyadi and Armudji during the Surabaya Regional Election (DOK. IST)

SURABAYA - East Java Bawaslu decided that Eri Cahyadi-Armudji was not proven to have committed money politics in a structured, systematic and massive manner (TSM).

"Stating that the reported (Eri Cahyadi-Armudji) is not legally and convincingly proven, promising and / or giving money or other materials to influence Election organizers and / or voters of violations in a structured, systematic and massive manner," said Head of the East Java Bawaslu Panel of Judges, Ikhwanudin. Alfianto was quoted from the decision of the East Java Bawaslu, Tuesday, January 5.

The East Java Bawaslu decision was welcomed by the PDI Perjuangan Kota Surabaya. PDIP considered the decision to be very correct.

"The report by our legal team, the evidence in the trial is weak and out of sync. How could the allegations of money politics be linked to Mrs. Risma's letter to the residents of Surabaya," said the Head of DPC PDIP Surabaya, Adi Sutarwijono.

The report on the allegation of money politics was submitted by the East Java Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) Coordinator, Novly B. Theysen. This report is related to the sending of Bu Risma's letter to Surabaya residents to elect Eri Cahyadi-Armudji in early December 2020.

"We appreciate the Bawaslu Jatim decision which is correct and clear in deciding cases," said Adi.

PDIP also praised the performance of the legal team from the PDIP Surabaya Legal Aid and Advocacy Agency (BBHAR), led by Arif Budi Santoso, SH, who had worked carefully and carefully, and were smart in formulating arguments and counter-evidence to refute accusations.

"Thank you to the legal team Eri Cahyadi-Armudji who worked carefully and carefully. The team cleverly resolved all allegations in the trial. Since the beginning, the legal team has worked hard to guard Eri Cahyadi-Armudji's victory in the Sudabaya Regional Election," Adi said.

Meanwhile, Arif Budi Santoso, who leads the legal team, said that the people of Surabaya already understand who the parties are suspected of using money politics during the campaign period and ahead of the elections on December 9, 2020.

"What is clear is that the candidate pair Eri Cahyadi-Armudji did not. Through the distribution of rice, sarongs, blankets, and even the distribution of money which was carried out massively and nakedly. East Java KIPP accusations were wrongly addressed against Eri Cahyadi-Armudji," said Arif.

After the decision of the East Java Bawaslu, PDIP Surabaya concentrated on the Pilkada dispute in the Constitutional Court. The KPU recapitulation plenary stated that Eri Cahyadi-Armudji won the Surabaya Pilkada by a difference of 13.8 percent or around 145 thousand votes. Outperformed Machfud Arifin-Mujiaman. Machfud Arifin (MA) then sued the results of the Surabaya Pilkada to the Constitutional Court.

"The decision of the East Java Bawaslu will be one of our means of evidence to break the argument of the Machfud Arifin-Mujiaman legal team at the Constitutional Court," said Arif.