Petitioner’s witness, Benisius Dabili (right), testifying at a hearing on the dispute over the 2024 legislative election results in the electoral district of Papua Pegunungan 1, Papua Pegunungan Province, Friday (5/31/2024). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Emus M. Gwijangge, a candidate for the Papua Pegunungan Provincial DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) from the Democratic Party, presented witnesses to testify about vote inflation for another candidate, Fransina Daby. The witnesses testified at a follow-up hearing of the 2024 legislative election dispute on Friday, May 31, 2024. The Case No. 48-02-14-37/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 concerns vote discrepancies among Democratic Party candidates.

At the hearing led by Chief Justice Suhartoyo, witnesses revealed that vote counts agreed upon at the district level had changed during the recapitulation at the regency level. Benisius Dabili, a Democratic Party witness in Ibele District, testified that ten chieftains had agreed to allocate 4,692 votes to the Petitioner, as recorded in the Ibele District’s C-result form.

“These ten villages used the noken system to allocate 4,692 votes to Mr. Emus M. Gwijangge,” He explained, noting that these votes came from ten villages and 32 polling stations in Ibele District.

However, Dabili noted that the vote count changed at the district level. During the reading of the Ibele District’s C-result form, Emus M. Gwijangge’s votes decreased by 1,020, leaving him with 3,672 votes. “I raised an objection about the 1,020 lost votes, but it was ignored,” he said.

Another witness for the Petitioner, Dwi Jatmiko, testified about vote discrepancies in six districts: Wamena, Ibele, Kurulu, Bugi, Bpiri, and Pelebaga. He noted that although the Petitioner received votes in these districts, the final count showed zero.

“The data I have from the C-result forms shows 161 votes for the Petitioner in Wamena District, but it was recorded as zero. In Ibele District, C-result form shows 3,672 votes, but the district election committee (PPD) reported only 1,500. In Kurulu District, C-result form shows 221 votes, but the PPD reported zero,” he detailed.

Also read:

Democrat Candidates Fight for DPRD Votes in Papua Pegunungan Province 1

KPU Denies Switching Democrat DPRD Candidate’s Votes for Papua Pegunungan 1

In response to the Petitioner’s witness’s testimony about Ibele District, the KPU (General Elections Commission) presented Jeck Ericks Hiluka, the Ibele District PPD chair. He stated that during the February 15 recapitulation, the community had agreed to allocate 1,500 votes to the Petitioner, not 3,672. “The Petitioner’s recapitulation is incorrect, and Benisius, the Petitioner’s witness, was not present,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Noella Enny N. Kafiar, head of technical affairs of the Jayawijaya Regency KPU, mentioned a Bawaslu recommendation on the incidents. However, she acknowledged that the recommendation was not implemented.

“Bawaslu’s recommendation letter was received by the Jayawijaya Regency KPU on March 23, 2024, even though it was dated March 19, 2024,” she explained, noting that the Jayawijaya Regency recapitulation had concluded on March 18, 2024.

Author              : L.A.P.
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator         : Dzaki Difa Al Hadiid/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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