Legal counsel Damang (right) in the preliminary hearing concerning North Toraja Regency election results dispute on panel 3 courtroom, Friday (1/10/2024). Photo by MKRI/Bayu

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Candidate Pair 01 Yohanis Bassang-Marthen Rante Tondok filed a petition concerning the 2024 North Toraja Regency election results dispute to the Court. In case No. 35/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, the Petitioners alleged a structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violation was committed to secure the win for Candidate Pair 02 Frederik V. Palimbong-Andre Branch Silambi (Relevant Party).

The Petitioners also argue that Eva Stevany Ra Taba, a Member of the House of Representatives from the National Democratic Party and the chairperson of the campaign team for Candidate Pair 02, played a decisive role in securing their victory. Eva was accused of mobilizing school principals at the elementary, high school, and vocational school levels in North Toraja Regency to influence students’ guardians and/or parents to vote for Candidate Pair 02. During the campaign, parents were allegedly promised the extension of their children’s Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) activation. Conversely, they were warned that failing to vote for Candidate Pair 02 would result in their children being excluded from financial aid for education.

“We included data, showing that KIP recipients have reached 12,598 people at the elementary school level and 368 people at the junior high school level,” said Damang in the preliminary hearing presided over by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat on panel 3.

Further, the Petitioners argue that the violation above has violated direct, public, free, confidential, honest, and fair principles. Given the alleged widespread fraudulent practices, the final vote results are deemed not to accurately represent the genuine will of the electorate. Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to disqualify candidate pair 02 and certify candidate pair 01 as the winner of the 2024 North Toraja Regency election. Should the Court have another perspective, the Petitioners request for a revote in all polling stations (TPS) without involving candidate pair 02.

In addition, they requested the Court to annul the North Toraja Regency KPU Decree No. 1313 of 2024 concerning the certification of North Toraja Regency election results. Referring to the petition, candidate pair 01 should have received 62,647 votes, while candidate pair 02 declared invalid due to the violations. Besides, they requested the Court to order the Respondent (North Toraja Regency KPU) to conduct a revote in all polling stations across districts in North Toraja Regency only contested by Candidate Pair 01 Yohanis Bassang-Marthen Rante Tondok.(*)

Author: Utami Argawati
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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