The Petitioner’s witness Steven B Zeekeon giving a statement in a further hearing in the 2019 DPR-DPRD PHPU of North Sulawesi Province on Wednesday (24/7) in the Panel 3 Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court held the 2019 DPR-DPRD (House of Representatives - Regional Legislative Council) legislative election results dispute (PHPU) hearing of West Java Province on Wednesday (24/7/2019). The hearing, presided over by Constitutional Justice I Dewa Gede Palguna with Constitutional Justices Suhartoyo and Wahiduddin Adams, heard the statements of the experts and witnesses for the Petitioners, Respondent, and Relevant Parties. A witness for PDIP revealed ballot box opening in Manado.

Previously, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) in Case No. 81-03-25/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019 questioned the vote acquisition for electoral district (Dapil) of Manado City 4 related to DPRD seat. PDIP stated that there was vote inflation that benefited the Golongan Karya Party (Golkar).

The Petitioner\\'s witness Steven B Zeekeon found a scribbled C1 Plano form in Maasing Village. In addition, he also found the number of votes not matching the C1 forms that witnesses had at TPS (polling station) 4. "Golkar should have received 12 votes in the TPS according to the C1 form that we have. But according to the Respondent, Golkar received 57 votes," he explained.

Besides, Steven said, Golkar should get 29 votes in TPS 6, but the Respondent stated they received 39 votes. He claimed that he did not sign the DA1 form and expressed an objection regarding this matter.

Another witness for the Petitioner, Maxi M Rawung, said that ballot boxes were opened at TPS 4 and 6 in Islam Village. He saw the Sub-district Election Committee (PPK) members and the General Election Committee (KPU) officers opened the ballot boxes. "They claimed to be matching data. I immediately told them to put the ballot papers back in," he explained. During the plenary meeting at the sub-district level, he protested it.

Responding to this statement, Eko, a witness presented by the KPU, denied it. He said the incident did not occur in Islam Village. In addition, the reason of opening the ballot boxes was to match the number of voters. "Because in the beginning of the plenary meeting we were constrained by infrastructure, we used manual method by writing on paper to recapitulate to the aggregate Situng (vote count information system)," he explained.

Another witness for the Respondent, Pasarudin, dismissed the accusation of inaccurate recapitulation at TPS 4 and TPS 6 in Maasing Village, because at the polling committee (PPS), witnesses did not protest it. The hearing also heard case No. 121-12-25/PHPU.DPR-DPRD/XVII/2019 for the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Translated by: FS/YW