TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Rai camp's confidence boosted in ISI rector dispute

Suardana claimed it was clear from the very beginning the charges would be turned down, because the matter revolved around a senate membership election procedure that did not fall under the court's jurisdiction

Dicky Christanto, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar (The Jakarta Post)
<P><LEADPARA>Wayan Rai, disputed rector of Bali's Indonesia Arts Institute (ISI) received a boost Friday in his fight against apparent rector-elect Nyoman Catra, following a court's rejection of a legal challenge by the latter.</LEADPARA>
Thu, October 9, 2008 Published on Oct. 9, 2008 Published on 2008-10-09T10:30:31+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Suardana claimed it was clear from the very beginning the charges would be turned down, because the matter revolved around a senate membership election procedure that did not fall under the court's jurisdiction.

"We are now waiting for other legal steps they might take, and we will be ready for them," Suardana told The Jakarta Post Friday.

The court issued its ruling Thursday, stating it could not entertain Catra's report on the ISI senate membership election procedure because it was not under its jurisdiction.

Catra's lawyer, Nyoman Budi Adnyana, said the ruling was confusing and inconsistent, and differed from the judges' earlier assessment in the case.

He said the judges had initially shown some support by ordering Rai to postpone all activities related to the new rector election process while the spat between Catra and Rai over the disputed results of an earlier election was being resolved.

"But then the head of the court issued a different ruling, so what's really happening behind the scenes?" Adnyana said in a statement.

The dispute began in March, when the ISI senate held an election to choose a new rector. Rai, the incumbent, suffered a humiliating defeat to the far more popular Catra. However, Rai threatened to reorganize the senate member election process and hold a new election.

Catra's lawyers filed a report with the Denpasar Administrative Court last month in an effort to prevent the new election.

In response to the report, the court issued a preliminary ruling ordering Rai to stop the election process.

Rai promptly ignored the court's ruling and went ahead with reorganizing the ISI senate member election process, which was then followed by a landslide victory for the rector in a second election.

Adnyana said his team's suspicions over the latest ruling was understandable, saying the judges should have ruled in a similar way when the first report was filed, seeing as it did not fall under the court's jurisdiction then and now.

Adnyana said he wished to discuss the "unfair ruling" with the Judicial Commission immediately.

He said he would also file another report on alleged criminal acts perpetrated by Rai during the second election for rector. However, he did not elaborate further on what these acts were.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.