Legal counsel Handri Piter Poae in the preliminary hearing for Case No. 51/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Talaud Island Regency election results dispute, Monday (1/13/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The involvement of the state civil apparatus (ASN) was cited as one of the key arguments in the 2024 Talaud Island Regency election results dispute. The petition was filed by Candidate Pair 02 Irwan Hasan-Haroni Mamentiwalo (Petitioners) for Case No. 51/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. The preliminary hearing was held in the Constitutional Court (MK) on Monday, January 13, 2025, presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah.

The Respondent in this case is the Talaud Island Regency KPU (Elections Commission) while Candidate Pair 03 Welly Titah-Anisya Gretsya Bambungan is the Relevant Party.

The Petitioners argued that a WhatsApp group, predominantly comprising civil apparatus, was created to support the Relevant Party in the 2024 Talaud Islands Regency election.

“[We allege] the violation of the neutrality of state civil apparatus has been carried out massively to secure the win for candidate pair 03 in a systematic manner in the WhatsApp group ‘WT-AB ​​2024 Volunteers’ with the three-finger symbol, Your Honors,” said legal counsel Handri Piter Poae when reading the petition.

Twenty-eight pages worth of screen captures of the group have been attached as evidence of. Some of them explain the target of campaign and the distribution of monetary rewards.

“The screenshots on pages 25-26 explain the distribution of [monetary rewards] and information regarding its distribution,” said Handri.

The Petitioners alleged the distribution of monetary rewards constituted vote buying. They further said that it was conducted since the campaign period until the election day.

The Petitioners revealed having evidence that this money was distributed via transfer to the society and the election officers.

“So, the method, Your Honors, is through direct transfer to the PPK (district election committee) and the PPK transfers it to each KPPS (polling station working committee),” explained Handri.

Further, the Petitioners mentioned the active involvement of several regional government officials and village organizers, including the issue of a decree of campaign.

The petition also highlighted alleged procedural violations by the election organizers. The Petitioners claimed that one such violation was the failure to publicly disclose the status of candidate pair 4 as a suspect. Another alleged procedural issue involved the vote-counting process, where ballots for candidate pair 02 were deemed invalid.

Lastly, the Petitioners revealed that the KPPS had lured voters with permanent mental disorders to vote with cigarettes as incentive. “This created opportunities for their votes to be manipulated by those who influence or invite, or by anyone,” stated Handri.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Talaud Island Regency KPU Decree No. 1259 of 2024 concerning the certification of the 2024 Talaud Island Regency election results. They also requested the Court to disqualify the Relevant Party in the election.

In addition, they requested the Court to order the Talaud Islands KPU to conduct a revote at all polling stations (TPS) in Talaud Islands Regency. Meanwhile, in the alternative petitum, the Petitioners requested that a revote be held at: TPS 2 of West Melonguane, TPS 3 of West Melonguane, TPS 1 of Melonguane, TPS 3 of East Melonguane, TPS 1 of Sambuara Satu, TPS 1 of Binalang, TPS 2 of Peret, TPS 1 of Panullan, TPS 1 of South Awit, TPS 1 of Central Tule, TPS 1 of North Tule, TPS 1 of Damau, TPS 2 of Damau, TPS 2 of Damau Bowone, TPS 1 of Rarange, TPS 1 of Peret, TPS 2 of Peret, TPS 1 of Tarun, TPS 1 of Rainis, and TPS 1 North Nunu. Legal counsel Suwempry Sivrits Suoth said the revote should take place, “Within a maximum period of 30 working days starting from the day this decision is pronounced.”

The petition for Case No. 51/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.

Author            : Ashri Fadilla
Editor            : N. Rosi
Translators     : Syifa Amelia/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL) (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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