Legal counsel Pither Ponda Barany testifying in the regent election results dispute hearing for Case No. 275/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2, Wednesday (1/15/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Yalimo regent-vice regent candidates 02 Alexsander Walilo and Ahim Helokombo alleged abuse of authority by the incumbent, Nahor Nekwek, in the 2024 Yalimo regent election. This was conveyed by Pither Ponda Barany in the preliminary examination hearing on the election results dispute for Case No. 275/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, which was held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

"On August 30, 2024, after registering as a candidate, Nahor Nekwek replaced the village head," said legal counsel Pither Ponda Barany before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in the panel 2 courtroom.

The Petitioners argued that Nahor Nekwek lost his authority to appoint and dismiss officials once he became a regent candidate. They also alleged that state civil apparatus (ASN), national armed forces (TNI), and national police (Polri) were politically active in supporting Candidate Pair 01, Nahor Nekwek and Yan Kiraklak. Furthermore, the Petitioners claimed that an organized ASN group was mobilized in favor of the Nahor-Yan pair, and village heads were involved in this political support. Specifically, the Head of the Yalimo Education Office, Paul Yare, was accused of encouraging the community in Abenaho District to vote for the candidate pair.

The Petitioners also revealed the alleged vote switching committed by the Yalimo KPU as the Respondent in several districts. According to the Petitioners, the election organizer switched votes from Candidate Pair 02 to Candidate Pair 01, as evidenced in the polling station of Feingkama in Welarek District. This vote switching was identified through the difference between the original C1 forms and the revised C1 forms.

Based on the Yalimo KPU Decree No. 657 of 2024 on the certification of the Yalimo regent election results, the vote acquisition for Candidate Pair 01 Nahor Nekwek-Yan Kiraklak was 36,912 votes, Candidate Pair 02 Alexsander Walilo-Ahim Helakombo received 34,525 votes, and Candidate Pair 03 Marthen Yohama-Markus Walilo garnered 17,373 votes. The Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Yalimo KPU decree and certify the correct vote acquisition, asserting that Candidate Pair 01 should have received 35,647 votes, Candidate Pair 02 should have received 35,792 votes, and Candidate Pair 03 should have received 17,371 votes.

Author  : Mimi Kartika
Editor   : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator     : Nazila Rikhusshuba/Fuad Subhan

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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