Legal counsel Iqbal Mulyono testifying at the preliminary hearing for the 2024 Berau regent election results dispute case No. 81/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra 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) — Legal counsel for Candidate Pair Number 1 Madri Pani-Agus Wahyudi, Muhammad Agung, argued that ballot boxes had been opened not per the laws and regulations in Berau regent election process. He made the statement at the preliminary hearing for Case Number 81/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Wednesday afternoon, January 15, 2025.

“The ballot boxes were not sealed and the seals were open, with video evidence that we attach to this petition,” said Muhammad Agung before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2.

The Petitioners argued that several unsealed ballot boxes had been seen at four polling stations (TPS): TPS 001, TPS 006, and TPS 008 of Gayam Village and TPS 011 of Gunung Panjang Village, Tanjung Redeb District. They alleged that those boxes had been opened not per procedure, which cast doubt on the validity or purity of the votes at those four polling stations. As a result, the number of votes at those polling stations significantly affected the election results.

The Petitioner filed an objection and recorded it on the D-incident and/or witness objection-KWK model form at the recapitulation of the Berau Regency KPU. This incident has also been reported to Berau Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body), but the follow-up is unclear.

However, at the hearing, the Petitioners’ legal counsel was unable to clearly describe any changes in the vote count that affected the candidate pairs. Based on the Berau Regency KPU Decree Number 898 of 2024 on the certification of regent election results, the votes for Candidate Pair Number 1 Madri Pani-Agus Wahyudi were 64,894 and for Candidate Pair 2 Sri Juniarsih Mas-Gamalis were 65,590.

Therefore, in their petitums, the Petitioners ask the Court to cancel the Berau Regency KPU and determine the correct votes as follows: Candidate Pair Number 1 Madri Pani-Agus Wahyudi with 64,894 votes and Candidate Pair Number 2 with zero votes or to conduct a revote at all polling stations in all districts in Berau Regency by only including Candidate Pair Number 1. The Petitioners also requested another alternative petitum: to cancel the vote acquisition and order a revote at those polling stations.

Author         : Mimi Kartika
Editor          : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR               : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator     : Dinita Aktivia/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

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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