Gibran's Registration To Be A Vice Presidential Candidate Is Questioned, KPU Is Ready To Attend A Lawsuit Session Of IDR 70.5 Trillion

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the declaration at Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, October 25, 2023 (Nailin/VOI)

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has responded to a lawsuit of Rp. 70.5 trillion on suspicion of unlawful acts for accepting the registration of presidential and vice presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari confirmed that his party will attend a lawsuit hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court (PN Jakpus) if there is a summons later.

"If there is a trial call, we will attend the trial," said Hasyim to reporters, Tuesday, October 31.

Hasyim admitted that he could not comment much on the lawsuit. Because he said, until now the KPU has not received the material for the lawsuit. "Later, when there is a summons from the court, there is material for the lawsuit, we will study it, now we don't know," he said. Even so, Hasyim stated that he was ready to attend the trial when there was an official summons from the court.

"There will be an official summons, a trial call. What is the lawsuit. We don't know yet," said Hasyim. Previously, a lecturer named Brian Demas Wicaksono sued the Indonesian KPU for alleged acts against the law for accepting the registration of presidential and vice presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The lawsuit was filed with the Central Jakarta District Court.

"Incidentally, as my plaintiff against the KPU, I am the plaintiff, my background as a lecturer, academic, I see that there was an unlawful act committed by the head of the KPU," Brian Demas told reporters at the Central Jakarta District Court, Jalan Bungur Besar Raya, Central Jakarta, Monday, October 30.

Demas assessed that the KPU should make changes to the PKPU according to the Constitutional Court's decision regarding the requirements for the age limit for presidential and vice presidential candidates. However, according to him, the PKPU changes were not carried out by the KPU but still received the registration of Prabowo and Gibran presidential andcaware candidates. "The chairman of the KPU should have had a hearing with the DPR first to make changes to the PKPU," he said.

"But this was not done by the chairman of the KPU, instead he accepted registration without changing the PKPU first," he continued. Therefore, Demas assessed that Gibran's registration did not have the right legal basis or legal standing. Because it is not in accordance with what has been regulated in the PKPU that the condition is only 40 years without any other editorial according to the Constitutional Court's decision.

"Therefore, this is an important lesson for state administrators so that they don't play games, we are a state of law, we are a democratic country, when the law is lost then state officials will commit arbitrary actions that we experienced today, that is my basis for suing the chairman of the KPU and other commissioners," he explained.

Demas added that his party sued the KPU to pay compensation of Rp. 70.5 trillion. He said the compensation would later be returned to the state.

"The figure of Rp. 70.5 trillion is the figure conveyed by Minister Mrs. Sri Mulyani to the public that the election budget is that big. So the legal act carried out by the head of the KPU is a loss of Rp. 70.5 trillion, we will return it to the state later," he said.