T

he losing candidate in the Aceh gubernatorial election, Irwandi Yusuf, filed an electoral fraud complaint with the Constitutional Court on Thursday alleging that the April 9 election was marred by rampant fraud and vote-rigging.

Irwandi, the outgoing governor, and former propaganda chief for the now-defunct Free Aceh Movement (GAM), also alleged that his rival Zaini Abdullah won the election through the threat and use of violence.

“We want to prove that Zaini won the election through illegal means and terrorizing people. This isn’t right and it has to be stopped,” Irwandi’s lawyer Muhammad Asrun said during a hearing at the Constitutional Court in Central Jakarta.

He said that the Aceh Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) confirmed that intimidation had been used against voters and even election workers.

The Aceh Independent Election Commission announced on April 17 that Zaini Abdullah and his running mate, Muzakir Manaf, won the local election and would lead Aceh for the 2012–2017 term.

Zaini and Muzakir won a substantial victory, garnering 1,3227,695 votes (55.78 percent) while Irwandi and his running mate Muhyan Yunan received only 694,515 votes (29.18 percent).

Constitutional Court Chief Mahfud MD, who presided over Thursday’s court sitting, adjourned until Friday to hear responses from the commission and Zaini’s attorneys.

Irwandi’s lawyer also asked the court to summon several suspects in recent terror attacks in Aceh who are now in police custody.

Tensions heightened in Aceh ahead of the election. On New Year’s Eve, a shooting spree claimed the lives of several civilians.

Last month, the police shot dead a terror suspect identified as Maimun J.F. and arrested another in a raid in Banda Aceh.

Separately, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto praised the Acehnese for their conduct of the election.

He also lauded Irwandi’s efforts to maintain security ahead of the election.

“I applaud the former Aceh governor’s success in maintaining stability in the recent gubernatorial election,” he said on the sidelines of the 2012 National Development Planning Conference in Jakarta on Thursday. (aml)

— JP/Rabby Pramudatama