The Constitutional Court Judge Saldi Isra Asked The General Election Commission To Explain The Supreme Court's Argument Regarding Risma Being Accused Of Intervening In The Surabaya Regional Election

Tri Rismaharini (DOK. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Constitutional Court Judge Saldi Isra asked the General Election Commission of Surabaya for an explanation regarding the argument for the involvement of the Surabaya City Government and Tri Rismaharini in winning over one of the candidate pairs in the Surabaya regional election, namely Eri Cahyadi and Armudji.

In the trial of the dispute over the election results at the Constitutional Court building, Saldi Isra assessed that the General Election Commission of Surabaya had not answered the arguments for the petition of candidate pair Machfud Arifin-Mujiaman.

When Saldi Isra asked for the answer regarding frauds that is argued by the petitioner, the member of the General Election Commission of Surabaya, Agus Turcham said that the election violations were the authority of the General Election Supervisory Agency to answer.

Saldi Isra then asked the General Election Commission of Surabaya regarding a letter from Tri Rismaharini to Surabaya residents to choose a candidate pair.

Initially, Agus Turcham said that he did not acknowledge the letter because it was not part of the campaign material. However, then he answered he did acknowledge the existence of the letter.

"You are lying. You never knew it existed", said Saldi Isra.

Furthermore, he reminded the General Election Commission as the respondent should have provided an answer to the petitioner's arguments, while the General Election Supervisory Agency should only help with the information given.

There is also candidate pair Machfud Arifin and Mujiaman who said that the implementation of the Election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Surabaya was marked by structured, systematic, and massive violations (TSM), including the involvement of the city government in facilitating candidate pair number 01 Eri Cahyadi-Armuji.

The fraud mentioned by the petitioner, including Tri Rismaharini, who was still the mayor at that time, seemed to be a symbol of the victory of the Eri Cahyadi-Armuji pair, using central government social assistance for winning and mobilizing neighborhoods through the distribution of awards.

Meanwhile, the Surabaya City Government agreed to make improvements to the facilities proposed by the supporters of the Eri Cahyadi-Armuji couple, to conduct a free feeding program for elderly voters, and to mobilize the state civil servants.