The Petitioners’ legal counsels M. Rullyandi and Joko Fortian Prabowo at the preliminary hearing of the Bekasi mayoral election results dispute, Wednesday (1/8/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Bekasi Mayoral Candidate Pair 1 Heri Koswara dan Sholihin (Petitioners) requested that the Court annul the Bekasi KPU Decree No. 886 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 mayoral election results dated December 6, 2024. The preliminary hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

In the Case Number 222/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025, legal counsel M. Rullyandi stated that the vote count results announced by the Bekasi KPU (Elections Commission) certifying 452,351 votes for Candidate Pair 01 Heri Koswara–Sholihin, 64,509 votes for Candidate Pair 02 Uu Saiful Mikdar–Nurul Sumarheni, 459,430 votes for Candidate Pair 03 Tri Adhianto–Abdul Harris Bobihoe, with a total of 976,290 valid votes and 43,794 invalid votes. Thus, the valid and invalid votes added up to 1,020,084. The Petitioners believe that the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 03 has violated the law in a structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) manner and has impaired democracy.

“Kartu Keren” and State Apparatuses’ Involvement

Rullyandi explained that one of the violations include “Kartu Keren” or “the cool card” worth Rp999,999 in balance for Bekasi residents to purchase food staple items or household needs at lower prices, distributed by Candidate Pair 03 during their campaign in Perwira Village of North Bekasi District on October 29, 2024. The card balance could be spent in the pair’s campaign events and the pair promised that if they won, the people could spend the remaining balance in the 12 districts of Bekasi City.

Moreover, Rullyandi continued, the Petitioners argued the involvement of civil state apparatuses (ASN) and neighborhood/community unit (RT, RW) chiefs in the campaign of Candidate Pair 03. On October 23, 2024, they allegedly misused state facility by installing campaign props at the secretariat of RW 18 of Aren Jaya Village in East Bekasi District. Then on November 1, 2024, the pair appropriated the official Instagram accounts of Margahayu Village, Jatikramat Village, and Mustikajaya family welfare movement (PKK) by having them like campaign posts on their Instagram account. There were also violations by a member of Bekasi City KPU Afif, who requested staff of Pondok Melati election committee to boost the pair’s votes. The staff followed upon this request and contacted the polling committee (PPS) via WhatsApp with a promise of Rp300,000 per committee member.

“Due to these violations, the Petitioners request that the Court rule Heri-Sholihin as the acquirers of the most votes in the 2024 Bekasi mayoral election or at least order the Respondent to hold a revote at all polling stations throughout Bekasi City without the participation of Candidate Pair 03 Tri Adhianto-Abdul Harris Bobihoe,” Rullyandi requested.

The petition for case No. 222/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.

Author            : Mimi Kartika
Editor            : N. Rosi
Translators     : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/Yuniar Widiastuti (RA)

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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