With a verdict due Wednesday on the presidential election dispute, the judges at the Constitutional Court are still debating the decision they have already reached.
Constitutional Court chief Mahfud M.D. said Tuesday at a press conference the judges "have been debating for four straight days and nights to reach a final verdict, especially to proof our judgment".
"But the debates have only taken place within the confines of the judges' assembly and never outside the room," he said, adding they had reached the verdict in the case.
The judges initiated the debate so that they would not influence one another in reaching a decision.
On Wednesday, the court will read out its verdict, following weeks of hearings to listen to testimony and review evidence submitted by the campaign teams of failed presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla, who are challenging the General Elections Commission's (KPU) decision to declare President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the winner of the July 8 election.
Mahfud said the court would maintain its professionalism and not let any party influence its decision, despite comments by candidates on the issue.
Megawati said Tuesday she was optimistic about a favorable verdict. Yudhoyono, on the other hand, previously said the accusations that he and his running mate, Boediono, had cheated were defamatory.
"The remarks *by Megawati and Yudhoyono* have no influence whatsoever *on the verdict*; remarks are not evidence," Mahfud said.
"Just attend the hearing on Wednesday; it's open to the public. Everyone will see our judgment is not based on remarks, but only on facts."
He added if Yudhoyono felt the other candidates had defamed him, he could sue them, but not at the Constitutional Court.
The judges, he went on, had not received any kind of pressure from any of the three candidates' legal teams.
Mahfud thanked the teams for not contacting any of the judges to discuss the case.
"They have faith in the court, that it will never be so easily persuaded," he said.
"That's why they've trust the case into our hands and left us to work alone."
However, he urged the candidates' teams to refrain from "heating up the situation" once the verdict was out.
"I hope they follow the examples of their leaders," he said, adding if things did heat up, it would be up to the police, and not the court, to deal with the fallout.
Megawati's team previously said it would not stop in its efforts to contest the election result until it had exhausted all the appeals and avenues available to it under the Constitution. (adh)
