The Petitioners’ legal counsel Tanda Perdamaian Nasution (left) and Junaidi (right) at the preliminary hearing for Case Number 251/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 disputing the North Maluku governor election results, Friday (1/10/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The results of the North Maluku governor election have been challenged again. Of the four pairs of candidates who participated in the governor election, three pairs have challenged the results that had been certified by the North Maluku Provincial KPU (Elections Commitee). The North Maluku Provincial KPU determined the Candidate Pair Number 4 Sherly Tjoanda and Sarbin Sehe as the winner of the election. This time, Candidate Pair Number 1 Sultan Husain Alting Sjah and Asrul Rasyid Ichsan (HAS) are the Petitioners for Case Number 251/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025.

At the preliminary hearing on panel 3 chaired by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat, Tanda Perdamaian Nasution as HAS’s legal counsel conveyed that the Petitioners objected to the election certification by the North Maluku KPU (Respondent). The Petitioners believe that the Respondent is not accountable and transparent in the process of the 2024 North Maluku governor election.

Nasution revealed that the Respondent had deliberately allowed voters who were not registered in the permanent voters list (DPT), additional voters list (DPTb), and special voters list (DPK), as well as voters from outside North Maluku Province who should not be allowed to vote, to be listed in the DPTb and DPK and to vote at the polling stations. He also highlighted that the Respondent had not matched the ballot papers and the number of voters in the various forms used in the election. In fact, some forms were not filled out nor signed by the chairman and members of the KPPS (polling station working committee), which strengthened the allegation that unregistered voters could still vote.

“The Respondent deliberately did not match the ballot papers with the number of voters on the C-result KWK model form, the C-permanent voters’ attendance KWK model form, the C-additional voters’ attendance KWK model form, and the C-special voters’ attendance KWK model form. The C-additional voters’ attendance KWK model form and the C-special voters’ attendance KWK model form were even not filled in and not signed by the chairperson and members of the KPSS, so it can be ascertained that voters who were not registered in the DPT, DPTb, and DPK had voted,” Nasution said.

Furthermore, the Petitioners objected to the North Maluku Provincial KPU Decree Number 56 of 2024, which amended the previous KPU decree regarding the certification of North Maluku governor candidates. They stated that the decree had resulted in direct losses because they were treated unfairly during medical examination. The Petitioners were required to undergo medical examination at Chasan Boesoeri General Hospital in Ternate, while the governor candidate-elect Sherly Tjoanda underwent an examination at Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital in Jakarta.

The Petitioners also highlighted the change in attitude of voters who had previously supported them, but then switched to supporting Sherly Tjoanda and Sarbin Sehe after the issuance of the KPU decree. The Petitioner argued that Tjoanda-Sehe had not met the health requirements and should have been disqualified.

In their petitums, the Petitioners asked the Constitutional Court to annul the North Maluku Provincial KPU Decree Number 67 of 2024 concerning the certification of the North Maluku Province gubernatorial election vote acquisition recapitulation results dated 17:26 WIT of December 8, 2024 and to disqualify Candidate Pair Number 4 Sherly Tjoanda and Sarbin Sehe.

Author         : Utami Argawati
Editor          : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR              : Tiara Agustina
Translators  : Dinita Aktivia/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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