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Medan. Six people were seriously injured and 16 arrested in a brawl that broke out during the tally of votes for district head of Karo district in North Sumatra.

Police said the melee at the Green Garden Hotel on Monday was sparked by supporters of losing candidates in Kabanjahe subdistrict.

They had been demanding that the final result be scrapped because of alleged violations, including vote buying.

Poll chief Benyamin Pinem dismissed their complaints and said the count should continue.

The protesters then scuffled with police as they tried to storm the hotel where the count was being held. The incident quickly developed into an all-out brawl and stone-throwing.

The six injured protesters are being treated at Kabanjahe General Hospital.

Those arrested for inciting the violence are being held for questioning.

The poll, involving 10 candidates, is being led by Siti Aminah Peranginangin with 30,500 votes, or 19.45 percent, followed by Kena Ukur Surbakti with 24,600, or 15.7 percent.

If no candidate wins at least 30 percent of the vote, the election will have to go to a run-off between the top two candidates.

Incumbent district head Daulat Daniel Sinulingga was barred by term limits from seeking re-election.

B. Bukit, a representative of a group claiming to speak for some of the other eight candidates, said they felt cheated because of various alleged electoral violations leading up to the Oct. 27 poll.

He said they would take their demand for a re-vote to the Constitutional Court, which is responsible for hearing electoral disputes.

Bukit declined to say which candidates he represented, nor what the violations were.

The disrupted vote count proceeded on Tuesday at the Kabanjahe polling office without incident. The final results from all 17 subdistricts are expected to be announced sometime this month.

The results of previous disputed regional elections in North Sumatra have been scrapped and re-votes called by the Constitutional Court.

The vote for mayor of Tebing Tinggi on May 12 was disputed by most of the candidates over polling officials’ decision to allow Mohammad Syafri Chap to run, despite him being indicted on a criminal charge.

Last month the court scrapped Chap’s victory and called for another vote, without Chap running. Tebing Tinggi is currently being led by interim mayor Eddy Syofian.

In Mandailing Natal district, Hidayat Batubara’s victory in a June 9 poll was annulled after allegations of vote buying. A new poll has been ordered.

The district is also being led by a caretaker official, Aspan Sofyan Batubara.

In the provincial capital, Medan, the vote for mayor earlier this year had to go to a runoff after none of the 10 candidates got 30 percent of the vote.

The runoff was won by Rahudman Harahap, despite claims of voting fraud.