"President Jokowi directed us to testify everything according to the duties and functions of each ministry," Hartarto said in front of eight constitutional judges at the follow-up hearing on the 2024 Presidential Election results dispute (PHPU) on Friday.
Hartarto made the statement in response to Constitutional Court judge Arief Hidayat's question.
"Are you here (at the court) based on orders from the President? Are you attending on assignment or with permission? Can you please respond?" Hidayat had asked.
Hartarto answered that he had come to the Constitutional Court upon its invitation and with the President's knowledge. The three other ministers also concurred with his answer.
Hidayat also asked Hartarto about the information that he would be conveying at the hearing.
Hartarto said that President Widodo had asked the ministers to provide information according to the duties and functions of their respective ministries.
Furthermore, Constitutional Court judge Saldi Isra emphasized that the ministers were summoned for the follow-up session to deepen the court's understanding of the arguments put forward by presidential and vice presidential pairs Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.
According to Isra, the statements of the four ministers would be taken into consideration by the court in deciding the case.
"All of the questions asked to the four ministers are related to arguments from the two presidential-vice presidential pairs. It will help the court to decide the case," he explained.
On Friday, the MK summoned three other ministers from the Indonesia Onward Cabinet besides Hartarto: Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy; Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati; and Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini.
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Translator: Fath Putra Mulya, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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