The Petitioner’s witness Burhanudin Karepesina at an evidentiary hearing for the 2024 legislative election results dispute for Maluku, Tuesday (5/28/2024) on panel 2. Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held a follow-up on the 2024 House of Representatives (DPR), Provincial and Regency/City Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) election results dispute (PHPU) petitioned by Central Maluku Regency DPRD candidate number 1 Kapressy Jacob from the United Indonesia Party (Perindo) on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. The agenda was to hear witness/expert testimonies and to examine and certify additional evidence.

At the hearing for case No. 258-02-16-31/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024, the Court heard testimonies by Jonwein Belseran, Burhanudin Karepesina, Frans J. Paicarima, and Frans Wellem Latuny as the Petitioner’s witnesses; M. Ridho Sopalatu, Mahfudin Orolawa, and Harold Yumatheo Pattiasina as the Respondent’s witnesses; and La Hamidun and Ariens Tehuayo as the Relevant Party’s witnesses.

In front of Panel 2 presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani, the Great Movement Party’s (Gerindra) data team member Jonwein Belseran said that on March 12, 2024 he was contacted by the Petitioner regarding vote inflation on the D-results and C-results forms, which were found at 11 polling stations (TPS). In Soahuku Village, there were additional 43 votes for the Relevant Party and in Amahai Village there were also an additional 23 votes. Then the Petitioner made a report letter by attaching the C-result forms that were taken to the Amahai subdistrict election committee (PPK) and looked for additional data.

“I found an additional 23 votes in Amahai Village at 4 polling stations; Haruru Village had an additional 10 votes; and Yainuelo Village had additional 10 votes at 4 polling stations,” explained Belseran.

Next, Gerindra witness at the Amahai PPK and Regency KPU Burhanudin Karepesina explained the changes in votes experienced by the Petitioner. On March 12, 2024, he and the Petitioner matched the C-result form that he had with the Gerindra’s copy of the C-result form after bringing the D-result form from the subdistrict.

“In fact, when matching the data, the results were the same, but when it was compared with the D-result form, there was a difference of 66 votes. In Soahoku Village there was a difference of 43 votes from 11 polling stations, in and Amahai Village we found a difference of 23 votes from 4 polling stations,” said Karepesina.

Vote Inflation

Meanwhile, Central Maluku Perindo’s executive member Frans J. Paicarima recounted an incident on March 12, where a review of vote inflation to Perindo candidate number 2 Yuanita Missy was conducted at several polling stations in several villages, such as Amahai and Soahuku. “The C-result forms were not in accordance with the documents at the plenary meeting, so the addition was shown in the D-result forms,” he said.

Also read:

Internal Perindo Party Candidates Question Votes Inflation

KPU Responds to Differences in Vote Acquisition of Perindo Candidates in Central Maluku District 1

At the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, April 30, the Petitioner argued about the difference in vote acquisition with Central Maluku Regency DPRD candidate number 2 Yuanita Missy in the 2024 general election. The Petitioner’s legal counsel Salman Alfarisi Simanjuntak requested to the annulment of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Decree No. 360 of 2024 on the certification of the results of the 2024 general election announced nationwide on March 20, 2024 at 22:19 WIB for the electoral district of Central Maluku 1.

In detail, the Petitioner mentioned that according to the Respondent, candidate 1 earned 1,429 votes while candidate 2 had 1,437 votes. Meanwhile, the Petitioner believes candidate 2 had 1,331 votes, so there was a difference of 106 votes. The additional votes for candidate 2, Salman continued, were found in several villages and polling stations in Central Maluku 1, including TPS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11 of Soahuku Village, Central Maluku Subdistrict; TPS 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 10 of Amahai Village, Amahai Subdistrict. Based on this description, the Petitioner requests that the Court determine the correct vote acquisition for the Central Maluku Regency DPRD election throughout the Central Maluku 1 from Perindo as follows: Kapressy Jacob received 1,429 votes and Yuanita Missy received 1,331 votes. It also asks the Court to order the KPU to implement this decision.

Author              : Sri Pujianti.
Editor                : Nur R.
Translator         : Jessica Rivena Meilania/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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