Legal counsel Ucu Kohar (right) at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 253/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 over the Pemantangsiantar mayor election results dispute, Wednesday (1/8/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Pematangsiantar mayor-vice mayor candidates Susanti Dewayani and Ronald Darwin Tampubolon filed a petition for the 2024 Pematangsiantar mayor election results dispute to the Court. In their petition, they alleged substantial violations benefiting Candidate Pair 01 Wesly Silalahi and Herlina (Relevant Party).

The preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 253/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 took place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 on panel 3 courtroom. The hearing was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Enny Nurbaningsih, and Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh.

At the hearing, legal counsel Ucu Kohar highlighted the alleged practice of money politics committed by the Relevant Party’s campaign team. According to the Petitioners, the campaign team had openly distributed Rp150,000 per voter as a bribe to encourage support for the Relevant Party.

“During the campaign, Pematangsiantar vice mayor candidate Herlina told voters, ‘No matter what, in the end, it’s all about money, right? We know your heart, and I understand it. God willing, we will provide bonuses on election day,’” said Ucu.

This allegation was supported by the testimony of a witness who confirmed the distribution of money to voters in an electoral bribery practice known as “serangan fajar” or “dawn attack” (lit.). Additionally, accompanying footage displays a person named Herlina openly stating her readiness to provide money on election day.

The Petitioners regarded this practice as a structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violation that affected the vote acquisition results of Candidate Pair 01. Therefore, they argued that the Pematangsiantar Elections Commission (KPU) should cancel the vote acquisition of the pair and exclude them from the 2024 regional election.

The Petitioners requested the Court to annul the vote acquisition of the Relevant Party and declare Susanti Dewayani-Ronald Darwin Tampubolon the elected candidate pair with a total of 43,580 valid votes.

Author              : Utami Argawati
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Tiara Agustina
Translators        : Nazila Rikhusshuba/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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