Prabowo-Hatta Supporters Barred from Approaching MK Premises
21 August 2014 11:04 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Around 100 supporters of the Prabowo-Hatta presidential ticket who had come to the Constitutional Court (MK) to hear the ruling on the election result dispute case were barred from approaching MK premises by the police.
The supporters had arrived at the eastern entrance of the National Monumen (Monas) en route to MK when police arrived to stop them from coming closer towards the Court.
"We were directed by officials to proceed towards the western entrance of Monas when we arrived at the eastern [entrance], but it turned out we cannot proceed any further from this entrance too," said a disgruntled supporter Kholil Firdaus earlier today.
Kholil said to have come from Cilacap with 250 fellow supporters and left Cilacap early in the morning before arriving at the vicinity of Monas at 8 a.m.
Arif Mahari, a mobile brigade official who stood guard at the Monas western entrance, confirmed that Prabowo's supporters have been barred from entering MK premises. "The Court has been sterilized to ensure that the proceedings go without a hitch," he said.
MK is set to convene for a final hearing on the election result dispute case before announcing their ruling this afternoon. About 22,000 personnel - consisting of police and military units - have been mobilized to secure the Court.
Jakarta Police have established four overlapping security zones - with the outermost zone forming a circle with a radius of 300 meters with the Court building at the centre. Traffic diversions have been in place since 7 a.m.
AYU WANDARI