The KPU’s legal counsel at a follow-up hearing for the 2024 legislative election result dispute of Central Papua 8, Monday (5/6/2024). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held a follow-up hearing for the DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) election result dispute petition filed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) for electoral district (dapil) 8 of Central Papua Province. The hearing for case No. 07-01-01-36/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih. PKB filed a petition for the annulment of the General Election Commission (KPU) Decree No. 360 of 2024.

The session was to hear the response from the KPU (the Respondent), statements from relevant parties, and testimony from Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body).

Idham Holik, representing the KPU, presented the Respondent’s response regarding the dispute over the result of the 2024 DPR (House of Representatives) and DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) election petitioned by PKB.

“In its exception, [the Respondent argues] that the Petitioner’s petition is unclear or obscuur libel. The [petition on] Central Papua Province DPRD in electoral district 8, according to the Respondent, is unclear. With regard to the Petitioner’s request on the comparison of PKB’s vote acquisition of the Petitioner’s version and the Respondent’s version, which resulted in a reduction of 14,696 votes, the Respondent considers the Petitioner unclear in calculating the vote acquisition, so it is very confusing for the Respondent,” explained Idham.

The Respondent asserted that the Petitioner’s version of the vote margin is very unclear. In the petition, the Petitioner argues that the reduction of 14,696 votes in the subdistricts had occurred because the input of the D result model forms did not match the C result model copy forms. According to the Respondent, this argument is unclear because the Petitioner did not explain the reduction thoroughly. The Petitioner did not explain the details of the polling stations and villages, and who had taken its votes.

Furthermore, the KPU stated that the Petitioner’s argument regarding the votes cast by the Respondent was unclear. The Petitioner claimed that the reduction occurred because the input of the D result model forms did not match the C result model forms. However, it argued that votes for one of its candidates had increased.

As the Petitioner’s petition is unclear or obscuur libel, especially in explaining the reduction and addition of votes in Central Papua, it is therefore appropriate for the Constitutional Court to reject the petition.

In this case, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has revoked its participation as a Relevant Party. The revocation letter was submitted to the panel of justices on May 6, 2024 at 14:00 WIB.

Author         : Siti Rosmalina Nurhayati
Editor          : Nur R.
Translator    : Putri Ratnasari, Yuniar W.

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

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