The Respondent’s legal counsel at hearing for case No. 105-01-18-01/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 on the 2024 legislative election result to hear responses from the Respondent, Relevant Parties, and Bawaslu, Wednesday (5/8/2024). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA, MKRI -The General Election Commission (KPU) affirmed that there was no vote count error that reduced the votes of the Aceh Nanggroe Party (PNA) for East Aceh electoral district 4. In addition, the KPU as the Respondent also denied vote inflation for the United Development Party (PPP) on the East Aceh of Aceh Regency/City Legislative Council (DPRK) for East Aceh 4. This was conveyed by Ridhotul Hairi representing the KPU in the 2024 general election results dispute (PHPU) hearing at the Court (MK) which was held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

“Based on the data presented, the error as argued by the Petitioner in the main petition, there is not a single vote count error that reduces the petitioner's vote or increases the PPP's vote. These are assumptions and allegations of the petitioner only without proof,” said Ridhotul Hairi at the hearing which was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih.

Therefore, the Respondent requests the Court to grant all of the Respondent's exceptions, reject all of the Petitioner's requests, and declare the KPU Decree No. 360 of 2024 valid.

In the hearing for case No. 105-01-18-01/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024, Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu)  testified that there were no objections from all parties during the vote recapitulation results. However, Bawaslu revealed that after the recapitulation, problems were found related to vote inflation.

Also read: Feeling Cheated by PPP over Vote Transfer, PNA Challenge KPU to Court 

No Objections

Besides the KPU and Bawaslu, the PPP as a Relevant Party, asserted in its statement that the Court did not have the authority to hear this case because the Petitioner's request was not related to the PHPU. Furthermore, the Relevant Party pointed out that the Petitioner had not filed any objections during the vote count or rebuttals to the results. In the absence of any objection from the Petitioner, it must be presumed that the Petitioner has agreed to the vote count results as determined by the Respondent.

“The Court has no authority because the petition is not related to the vote acquisition results. The Petitioner did not file an objection during the vote count,” said Zulfikar Sawang, the legal counsel for the Relevant Party.

Previously, at the preliminary hearing, the Petitioner claimed that there was a vote margin between himself and the PPP according to the Petitioner's and Respondent's versions. According to the Petitioner, he should have received 582 votes, while the PPP should have received 735 votes. However, based on the Respondent's decree, the Petitioner only received 538 votes and the PPP received 912 votes.

Thus, the Petitioner requests that the Court grant the petition in its entirety, cancel the KPU Decree No. 360 of 2024, and order the KPU to conduct a recount of ballots in the Subdistricts of Pante Bidari, Madat, and Simpang Ulim in East Aceh 4 or to certifies the vote acquisition results of the Petitioner’s version.(*)

Author : Adam Ilyas
Editor : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Tiara Agustina

Translator : Intana Selvira Fauzi 

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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