Pemalang regent candidate Vicky Prasetyo with his legal counsel Marlonicus Sihaloho at the preliminary examination hearing for the Pemalang regent election results dispute, Thursday (1/9/2025). Photo by MKRI.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) - Pemalang regent-vice regent candidates 01 Vicky Prasetyo and Mochamad Suwendi alleged frauds in the 2024 Pemalang regent election. This claim was presented at the preliminary examination hearing for the Pemalang regent election results dispute on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The hearing for Case No. 115/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on court panel 1.

Vicky-Suwendi (Petitioners) argued that such alleged fraud, among others, was the distribution of parcels containing money and goods to the public prior to election day. According to the Petitioners, these parcels included the logos associated with a certain candidate pair.

"The Petitioners found numerous parcels containing several items, each including the logo of the third candidate pair, Anom Widiyantoro-Nurkholes. Inside the parcels were envelopes containing Rp100,000 in cash, which were secretly distributed to residents," said Marlonicus Sihaloho, the legal counsel of Vicky-Suwendi, delivering the petition at the hearing.

In addition to the parcels, the Petitioners also discovered ballots at polling stations that had already been filled out in favor of the mentioned candidate pair (Relevant Party). According to the Petitioners, this issue was known to officials of the Pemalang Election Commission (KPU) or the Respondent.

"But the committee ignored this issue, and when a commotion arose among the community, they only urged people to remain calm," said Marlonicus.

The Petitioners also disclosed the discovery of a ballot box in the restroom of the Pemalang KPU office. According to them, the ballot box seemed about to be destroyed.

Based on the arguments, the petitioners further asserted that the election process was marred by structured, systematic, and massive violations. "Based on the aforementioned chronology of events, the Petitioners can substantiate structured, systematic, and massive violations in the 2024 Pemalang regent and vice regent election," the legal counsel stated.

In the petitum, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the 2024 Pemalang KPU Decree No. 2139 on the certification of the 2024 Pemalang regent election vote counting recapitulation. They also requested the Court to order the Pemalang KPU or the Respondent to conduct a revote.

"Ordering the Respondent to carry out the 2024 revote of the Regent and Deputy Regent of Pemalang Regency in a transparent and honest manner," he said.

The hearing ended with information on the schedule of the next hearing, i.e., the submission of responses from the Respondent and the Relevant Party. Chief Justice Suhartoyo said that the hearing would be held again on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 01.00 PM WIB. The Petitioners were also reminded to be present on time, considering their delay in this hearing.

"For (case) 115, the next hearing will be on January 20, 2025, Monday at 01.00 PM. don't be late again. The agenda is to hear the responses from the Respondent, the Pemalang KPU, and the Relevant Party," said Chief Justice Suhartoyo.

Also read the petition for Case No. 115/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Author  : Ashri Fadilla
Editor   : N. Rosi
Translators     : Nazila Rikhusshuba / 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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