Legal counsel Refly Harun (left) at the preliminary hearing for Case No. 262/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 concerning East Kalimantan gubernatorial election results dispute on Thursday (1/9) in the Panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Candidate Pair 01 Isran Noor-Hadi Mulyadi accused vote buying in the 2024 East Kalimantan gubernatorial election. Legal counsel Refly Harun requested the annulment of the Decree of East Kalimantan Province KPU (General Election Commission) No. 149 of 2024 concerning Certification of Vote Acquisition Results for the 2024 gubernatorial election, dated December 9, 2024.

The preliminary hearing for Case No. 262/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 was presided over by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Enny Nurbaningsih on Panel 3. The gubernatorial election was contested by two candidate pairs where the Petitioners received 793,793 votes and Candidate Pair 02 Rudy Mas’ud-Seno Aji received 996,399 votes.

Refly explained that a structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violation was committed by candidate pair 02. The violations are divided into four points, which are political cartels, vote buying, involvement of government officials and structures, and non-neutral election organizers.

The Petitioners witnessed an attempt to buy up all political parties in carrying a single candidate in the East Kalimantan gubernatorial election. But in the end, there were two candidate pairs contesting in the East Kalimantan gubernatorial election.

"Of the nine fractions, the nine parties in the East Kalimantan DPRD, all of them were bought up by candidate pair 02, and candidate pair 01 supported by only two parties, which are PDIP (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) and the Democratic Party, and that was exactly 11 seats with 20 percent of the seats," said Refly in the Panel 3 Courtroom.

“There is the issue of political cartels which caused the regional elections to be deemed no longer fair, honest, and just," he continued.

Second, a structured, systematic, and massive vote buying. It was discovered the "Accountability Report for the Kutai Kertanegara Regency Siraman Rudy Mas'ud-Seno Aji November 26, 2024". The report contains the residents receiving money, especially in Muara Badak District and Kota Bangun District, Kutai Kertanegara Regency.

The report included a photo of a resident posing with two fingers raised while receiving money and stickers of Candidate Pair Rudy Mas'ud-Seno. Additionally, a list of names of individuals who distributed and received the money was found.

Third, the involvement of government officials and structures, where it is indicated that the chairpersons of the neighborhood unit were deployed as the forefront of money politics practices to support candidate pair 02. Thus, Refly said that the East Kalimantan gubernatorial election was unfair and dishonest.

Lastly, the election organizers are not neutral and professional. Based on Article 73 of Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 1 of 2015 concerning the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2015 concerning the Governors Election, Regents, and Mayors (UU Pilkada), the organizers can disqualify candidate pairs who are proven to have committed vote buying.

"But what we question is that out of thousands of pieces of evidence about vote buying, none of these were proven. It seems very easy to prove the vote buying, especially with such reports," said Refly.

The Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Decision of the General Election Commission (KPU) of East Kalimantan Province Number 149 of 2024 concerning the Determination of Vote Acquisition Results for the 2024 gubernatorial election, dated December 9, 2024. Also, to disqualify Candidate Pair 02 Rudy Mas'ud-Seno Aji.

Or, to certify the results of the East Kalimantan gubernatorial election with Rudy Mas'ud-Seno Aji (0 votes) and Isran Noor-Hadi Mulyadi (793,793 votes). "Or at least, order the East Kalimantan Election Commission to revote in all regencies/cities in East Kalimantan Province with strict supervision by the general election body of the Republic of Indonesia and East Kalimantan Province," said Refly. (*)

Author: Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor: Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR: Tiara Agustina
Translator: Syifa Amelia / FS (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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