Allegations Against Golkar at Wakasihu and Hitulama Polling Stations in Maluku Proven Unfounded

Legal counsel at a ruling hearing for the 2024 legislative election results dispute of Province/Regency of Riau Province for Case No. 256-01-04-31/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 on Thursday, (6/6/2024). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) declared the petition by Golkar (Party of Functional Groups) regarding the membership of the Maluku Provincial Legislative Council in Maluku Electoral District 2 as inadmissible and rejected the petition concerning the membership of the Central Maluku Regency Legislative Council in Central Maluku 4. The ruling hearing for the 2024 Election Results Dispute for Members of the House of Representatives, Provincial Legislative Council, and Regency/City Legislative Council (PHPU DPR/DPRD) was held at the Court on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

In Decision No. 256-01-04-31/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024, Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani read the Court's legal considerations. The petitioner questioned the reduction of 4 votes in 4 polling stations (TPS), namely TPS 2 and TPS in Keitetu Village, TPS 7 in Hila Village, and TPS 12 in Hitu Lama Village, as well as the addition of 78 votes for the Related Party in 9 TPS, including TPS 14 in Larike Village, TPS 14 in Ureng Village, TPS 4 and TPS in Wakal Village, TPS 8 and TPS 14 in Seith Village, TPS 20 in Hitu Messing Village, TPS 12 in Hitu Lama Village, and TPS 10 in Wakasihu Village.

Regarding the claim of vote reduction, Arsul continued, the Court presented a comparison of data with reference to the evidence of the parties, stating that according to the C.Results submitted by the Respondent in line with the vote totals held by Bawaslu, the discrepancy was found in the C.Results data held by the Petitioner. Additionally, referring to Bawaslu's testimony, there were no objections raised during the plenary process at the subdistrict level for the certification of vote results at TPS 2 and TPS 12 in Keitetu Village, as well as TPS 7 in Hila Village and TPS 12 in Hitu Lama Village. "Based on these considerations, the claim of a reduction of 4 votes in 4 polling stations is unfounded and legally unjustified," stated Arsul.

Identifying All Polling Stations (TPS)

Concerning the claim of an additional 78 votes for Gelora (Indonesian People’s Wave Party), the Court compared the data of C.Results and D.Results form and reviewed the recommendation for recounting in 82 TPS out of 157. The Court identified all the TPS claimed by the Petitioner, especially in Leihitu Subdistrict, which underwent a vote recount process in 7 TPS , while the remaining 2 TPS were in Leihitu Barat Subdistrict. Regarding TPS 14 in Larike Village, Leihitu Barat Subdistrict, it was found that there was a counting error recorded in C.Results, which was corrected at the subdistrict level. Therefore, the discrepancy was acknowledged but rectified in the subsequent recapitulation.

Ballot Box Opening

Regarding TPS 10 in Wakasihu Village and TPS 12 in Hitulama Village, the Court ordered the Respondent on May 28, 2024, to bring the ballot boxes and opened them on June 3, 2024. The result showed that the shortage of ballots at TPS 10 was taken from TPS 9 in Wakasihu Village, totaling 51 ballots. These ballots were used, marked as damaged, and stored in the ballot box at TPS 10 in Wakasihu Village without counting and recording their votes.

Regarding other vote discrepancies, after opening the ballot boxes and reviewing C.Results and D.Results form in the presence of the parties during the hearing, the Court concluded that the vote results were 12 votes for Golkar, 53 votes for Gelora, and 0 votes for the PSI. Thus, the claim of vote reduction by the Petitioner was unfounded.

"In the provisional ruling, the Court declared the validity of Decision No. 256-01-04-31/PS/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 pronounced in an open plenary session on May 21, 2024; in the main petition, the Court declared the petition regarding the membership of the Maluku Provincial Legislative Council in Maluku 2 inadmissible; and rejected the petition regarding the membership of the Central Maluku Regency Legislative Council in Central Maluku 4," stated Chief Justice Suhartoyo while reading the Decision from the Plenary Courtroom, Building 1 MK, Jakarta.

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Allegations Against Golkar at Wakasihu and Hitulama Polling Stations in Maluku Proven Unfounded