The Petitioners’ legal counsel Fadjri at the preliminary hearing for Case No. 47/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 disputing the Sabang mayor-vice mayor election results, Thursday (1/9/2025) on panel 3. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Sabang mayor-vice mayor candidate pair 03 Ferdiansyah-Muhammad Isa claimed that violations had occurred in the voting and vote counting stages at six polling stations (TPS). Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat chaired the preliminary hearing for case—No. 47/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025—alongside panel members Justices Enny Nurbaningsih and Ridwan Mansyur.

The three candidate pairs competing in the Sabang mayor-vice mayor election have received the voting results of 2,504, 9,786, and 9,672 votes for candidate pairs 01, 02, and 03, respectively. In the petition, the Petitioners highlighted many violations and negligence that the polling station working committee (KPS) and polling station officers had conducted. The Petitioners emphasize the implementation of Article 50 paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of the General Elections Commission Regulation (PKPU) No. 17 of 2024.

“[Such violations may] result in a revote,” stated the Petitioners’ legal counsel Fadjri in panel 3 courtroom on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

The Petitioners classified the violations into three issues. First, the vote counting was conducted past the specified time. Based on Article 9 paragraph (3) of PKPU No. 17 of 2024, the voting should take place from 07:00 to 13:00 local time.

“Aceh Province held the election until 14:00, following the provision from the Aceh Independent Elections Commission (KIP). However, in practice, the voting was conducted past the specified time,” added Fadjri.

Second, the Petitioners argued that the voting and vote counting had not been carried out based on the procedures set in laws and regulations. For instance, at TPS 02 of Paya Seunara Village, the KPPS quickly delivered the announcement, making it difficult for the witnesses to hear clearly. This suggests an intention to favor certain candidate pairs.

Said polling station also had a shortage of two ballots, but the KPPS opened the sealed mayoral ballot box before the designated time to find those ballots, but to no avail.

“Then the ballots were found in the black bag next to the ballot box for the gubernatorial election,” stated Fadjri.

Third, the Petitioners stated that some voters were unable to vote. Fadjri explained that sick voters could not exercise their voting rights as their ballots had been crossed out by KPPS officers at TPS 02 in Paya Seunara Village.

Meanwhile, at TPS 02 of Aneuk Laot Village, the KPPS officers only provided a ballot for the Aceh gubernatorial election to a voter without that for the Sabang mayoral election. The voter reported to the KPPS, but he was still unable to get a ballot for the Sabang mayoral election. “Although the witness has protested, it was ignored,” Fadjri explained.

In the petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Sabang City Aceh KIP Decree No. 205 of 2024 on the certification of 2024 sabang mayor-vice mayor election results dated December 3, 2024; or to annul the Sabang City Aceh KIP Decree No. 205 of 2024 relevant to the votes obtained at TPS 02 of Paya Seunara Village (Suka Makmue District), 02 of Aneuk Laot Village (Sukakarya District), 03 of Balohan Village (Sukajaya District), TPS 03 of West Kuta Village (Sukakarya District), TPS 05 of West Kuta Village, (Sukakarya District), and TPS 01 of Anoe Itam (Suka Jaya District).

As such, the Petitioner requested the Court to declare that the procedural violations had occurred at the implementation of voting and vote counting at those six polling stations.

The Petitioners also wished the Court would order the Sabang City Aceh KIP for a revote at those six polling stations.

Author              : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                     : Tiara Agustina
Translators        : Ryan Alfian/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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