The Respondent's legal counsel, Wiradarma Harefa, delivering a statement at a follow-up hearing for the 2024 legislative election results dispute of North Sumatra Province, on Monday (5/13/2024) in Courtroom Panel 1 of the Constitutional Court Building. Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The General Elections Commission (KPU) has conducted a recount of the D. Results for Simuk Subdistrict following Bawaslu's recommendation. This was stated by Yosua Buulolo, a member of South Nias Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), during the hearing of Case No.184-01-04-02/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 held on Monday, May 13 2024 in the Plenary Courtroom of the Court.

The Golkar Party previously argued that the legitimate Model D Results for Simuk Subdistrict for filling the positions of the South Nias Regency DPRD (Regional Legislative Council)  in electoral district 6 were those dated February 20, 2024, signed by all PPK (Subdistrict Election Committee) and present witnesses. However,  the vote count for parties and legislative candidates recorded in the Sirekap (vote recapitulation information system) during the regency-level plenary meeting were based on the Model D Results from March 5, 2024.

In the hearing presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo, Yosua stated that after addressing the objections, a vote recount was performed for the Simuk Subdistrict. "Subsequently, there were no additional objections," Yosua remarked.

The KPU, as the Respondent, disproved all the Petitioner's claims about vote acquisition, stating that the Petitioner received 1,203 votes according to the D Results for Simuk Subdistrict dated February 20, 2024, which they claim is incorrect.

"Throughout the process of voting, counting, recapitulation, and certification of election results, specifically for the election of Regional House of Representatives members, it was conducted hierarchically from the polling station level to the provincial level, and was carried out by the Respondent in accordance with applicable procedures, and legal mechanisms," stated Alfonsus Chandra Prasetyo, legal counsel for KPU (Respondent).

In response to disputes over vote counts, the Respondent and South Nias Bawaslu compared the C. Copy data provided by political party witnesses, revealing discrepancies in the vote totals for legislative candidates (DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) of North Sumatra Province.

Also read: Golkar Questions Vote Inflation of Legislative Candidates in South Nias 6

PDIP, as a relevant party represented by Wiradarma Harefa, stated that the vote acquisition contested by the Petitioner was incorrect as, according to Bawaslu's findings, a decision was issued ordering the KPU of South Nias Regency to recount the ballots at all polling stations in Simuk Subdistrict for the South Nias Regency DPRD election at the request of witnesses from the Hanura (People’s Conscience Party), PDIP, Democrat (Democratic Party) , PKN (Nusantara Awakening Party) , and Nasdem (National Democratic Party), but this recommendation was rejected by the Petitioner.

According to Harefa, the recount results conducted by the PPK (Subdistrict Election Committee)  in the preliminary meeting of  regency recapitulation room varied from the D results shared by Simuk Subdistrict's PPK. However, these outcomes aligned with the C copy data provided by the disputing party witnesses and South Nias Bawaslu for the South Nias Regency DPRD election. These were subsequently announced on March 5, 2024, by Simuk Subdistrict's PPK.

Author          : Utami Argawati
Editor           : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR               : Andhini S.F.
Translator     : Dzaki Difa Al Hadiid

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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