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Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Papua Province, Adam Arison, accompanied by his attorney, Thomas Ulukyanan, when submitting a report on the revote (PSU) in the hearing on dispute over the results of Regional Head Election of Puncak Jaya Regency, Thursday (27/7) in the Plenary Hall of the Constitutional Court Building. Photo by Humas/Vebrian.

The hearing on dispute over the results of Regional Head Election of Puncak Jaya Regency (PHP Kada) of Puncak Jaya Regency was held by the Constitutional Court on Thursday (27/7). The agenda of hearing for case Number 42/PHP.BUP-XV/2017 was to hear the report on the revote (PSU) from the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Puncak Jaya Regency and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).

On Tuesday (4/4), the Constitutional Court mandated a revote in six districts of Puncak Jaya Regency, namely Dagai, Ilamburawi, Lumo, Molanikime, Yambi, and Yamoneri. The order for a revote was decided after it had been revealed that the local KPU did not conduct a vote recapitulation in the six districts because the ballots were damaged and missing.

Represented by attorney Thomas Ulukyanan, Puncak Jaya KPU presented the results of the overall revote recapitulation. Candidate Pairs Number 1 Yustus Wonda-Kirenius Telenggen received 9,280 votes, Number 2 Henok Ibo-Rinus Telenggen received 37 votes, and Number 3 Yuni Wonda-Deinas Geley (Relevant Party) received 13,096 votes. "The total votes reached 22,413, excluding Yamoneri District," he said.

Thomas said there were problems for the revote in Yamoneri, Yambi, and Molanikime Districts. According to him, the results of revote in Yamoneri cannot be recapitulated because the ballots were lost. He explained that there was an unknown mob attacking and picking up some ballot boxes. Meanwhile, in Yambi District, according to him, two versions of revote results had appeared.

"Firstly, 7 villages and 10 polling stations (TPS) agreed to vote for Candidate Pair Number 3. Then 2 villages and 4 TPS expressed support for Number 1. There was a problem because at that time, according to provincial KPU data, from Candidate Pair Number 1 asked the votes from 7 villages and 10 polling stations to be divided equally," he explained.

Meanwhile, in Molanikime District, Thomas explained the revote venue was moved once, the reason being a landslide that made road access difficult. The revote was finally held in Ogolumo Hamlet. "It was through the noken system (where representatives of the traditional village leaders vote to represent the public aspiration, red) with 5 leaders in attendance," he explained.

Vote Claim

Responding to KPU’s report, the Relevant Party, represented by Paskalis Letsion, claimed that the ballots in Yamoneri District were secured and not lost. According to him, in the district, the Relevant Party received 8,891 votes. Meanwhile, the Petitioners, through legal counsel Jou Hasyim claimed to have received 8,827 votes. However, the Relevant Party’s statement was refuted by Chairman of Papua Province KPU Adam Arisoy. "The number of final voter list (DPT) in Yamoneri District is only 8,827 votes," he asserted.

At the end of the hearing, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Arief Hidayat stated that he would ask for a written statement from Bawaslu of Papua Province to clarify the true incident that happened during the revote in Yamoneri. "Yamoneri’s problem is crucial because the votes here are contested by two parties. Only after this process will the Court take a stand," he said.

(ARS/lul/Yuniar Widiastuti)

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