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Saturday, May 22, 2021 | 11:50 WIB

Ali Nurdin, attorney of Labuhanbatu Regency KPU, at the second hearing of the 2020 Labuhanbatu regent election results dispute, Friday (21/5/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

JAKARTA, Public Relations—After conducting a revote at nine polling stations (TPSs) in several subdistricts, the Labuhanbatu Regency General Elections Commission (KPU) as Respondent certified Candidate Pair No. 2 Erik Adtrada Ritonga-Ellya Rosa Siregar as regent and vice regent-elect in the 2020 Labuhanbatu regent election. The decision was documented in the Labuhanbatu Regency KPU Decree No. 70/PL.02.6-Kpt/1210/KPU-Kab/V/2021 on May 2, 2021.

In response, the constitutional justices issued the Decree No. 141/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021, which was read out on Friday, May 21, 2021 in the plenary courtroom. The decree was read out by the presiding special panel at the second hearing of the 2020 Labuhanbatu regent election results dispute.

“[The Court] decided [to] order all relevant institutions to delay the implementation of all administrative stages and acts or other measures after the certification of the revote results recapitulation of Labuhanbatu Regency based on the decision of the Labuhanbatu Regency General Elections Commission on the Certification of the Recapitulation of Revote Results After the Constitutional Court Decision No. 58/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021 in the 2021 Labuhanbatu Regency Regent-Vice Regent Election on April 27, 2021 until a Constitutional Court Decision on the a quo petition that has permanent legal force,” said Constitutional Justice Enny Nurbaningsih alongside Constitutional Justices Saldi Isra and Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh.

Also read: Allegation of Violations Made Against Labuhanbatu Revote Results

Undefined Violations

At the hearing, through attorney Ali Nurdin, the Respondent rejected all allegations of violations during the revote at 9 TPSs following the mandate of the Decision No. 58/PHP.BUP-XIX/2021. Nurdin said that the Petitioner couldn’t clearly explain the alleged violations at TPSs in Bakaran Batu. In addition, the regency’s Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body), who had the authority to dispense penalties and warnings against administrative electoral violations, had not give any recommendation regarding the alleged violations. He also said that the explanation of the alleged administrative violations in South Rantau Village was false.

“There is no South Rantau Village; there is only South Rantau Subdistrict. It is obvious that the Petitioner didn’t provide information that is consistent with the violations that they alleged, so the petition can at least be declared inadmissible,” Nurdin explained.

The Respondent also rejected the assertion of ineligible and/or unlisted voters casting ballots more than once. They reasoned that on revote day on April 24, 2021, all voters at the 7 TPSs were listed and had received invitations to vote at their respective TPS.

Listed in Final Voters List

Masmulyadi, the attorney for Candidate Pair No. 2 Erik Adtrada Ritonga-Ellya Rosa Siregar (Relevant Party), agreed that the alleged violations didn’t occur. He said that the allegedly unlisted voters were listed in the final voters list (DPT) of Negeri Lama Village, who were allowed by the polling station working committee (KPPS) to vote at the 7 TPSs.

Meanwhile, the regency’s Bawaslu chairman Parulian Silaban reported on Bawaslu’s supervision over the 7 TPSs. In North Rantau Subdistrict, he said, it found voters who only brought their KK (family card) to vote. After coordination with and confirmation from the election organizer, they were allowed to cast their ballots. Five voters cast their ballots at hospitals. Bawaslu noted that they were ill and couldn’t come to the TPS to vote, so the KPPS brought the ballots to them.

The Petitioner requested the annulment of the Labuhanbatu Regency KPU Decree No. 64/PL.02.6-Kpt/1210/KPU-Kab/IV/2021 on the certification of the revote recapitulation of the 2020 Labuhanbatu regent-vice regent election dated April 27, 2021 at 12:15 WIB. The Petitioner asserted that despite the Court-ordered revote (PSU), violations kept occurring and put them at disadvantage. Therefore, they requested that the Court order another revote at 7 TPSs: TPS 5, TPS 9, and TPS 10 of Bakaran Batu Village, South Rantau Subdistrict; TPS 9 and TPS 17 of Siringo-ringo Village, North Rantau Subdistrict; and TPS 14 of Negeri Lama Village, Bilah Hilir Subdistrict.

Writer        : Sri Pujianti
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR            : Fitri Yuliana
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 5/22/2021 20:05 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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