Petitioners' legal counsel Bonargo Sinaga (right) at the preliminary hearing of the Boven Digoel regent election results dispute, Wednesday (1/15/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) — Regent Candidate Pair 4 Hengki Yaluwo and Melkior Okaibob (Petitioners) argued their objection and challenged the certification of vote count recapitulation issued by the Boven Digoel KPU (Elections Commission). The Petitioners believe that the KPU (Respondent) did not implement the due diligence in verifying the application documents submitted by Candidate Pair 3, whose regent candidate Petrus Ricolombus Omba is a convict and/or was involved in a criminal case before he was fired from the military.

The Petitioners delivered their arguments through their legal counsel Bonardo Sinaga in the regent election results dispute Case No. 260/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. The preliminary hearing was presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

Sinaga argued that the information from Surabaya High Military Court III Decision No. PUT/06-K/PMT.III /BDG/ADN/2005 that was strengthened by Supreme Court Decision No. 101 K/MIL/2005 which ruled the military criminal charges committed by Petrus under the provisions of Article 52 paragraph (1) of Judicial Power Law should be accessible to the voters. More importantly, the Respondent is obligated to verify the information by asking Regent Candidate 3 or the authorized Military Court to clarify the criminal charges committed by Petrus or ruled by the Military Court. However, the Respondent failed to do so.

"It is evident to the Petitioners that the Respondent did not fulfill their obligations to obtain the complete documents pertaining to the ex-convict status of Candidate Pair 3. The candidate pair also had never disclosed any relevant information or documents," alleged Sinaga.

The Petitioners felt that the Respondent was trying to hide Petrus's status since the people of Boven Digoel Regency were not openly informed about his background. Even the Petitioners had to independently seek the information through the legally permitted means.

Based on the arguments, the Petitioners requested the Court to order the Respondent to carry out a revote without the participation of Candidate Pair 3. They also requested the Court to disqualify Candidate Pair 3 from the election.

The petition for case No. 260/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here. 

Author : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi

Editor : N. Rosi

Translator : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/Fuad Subhan (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.

---