The Petitioners’ legal counsels Stefanus Timotius Talubun (left) Nasrullah (right) at the preliminary hearing for the 2024 Merauke regent election dispute case No. 238/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, Thursday (1/16/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Merauke regent-vice regent Candidate Pair Number 3 Hendrikus Mahuse-Riduwan has filed a petition to annul the Merauke Regency KPU (Elections Commission) Decree No. 2255 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Merauke regent election results dated December 6, 2024. In their petition, they divided the alleged structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations into eight categories.

The preliminary hearing for case No. 238/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Thursday, January 16, 2025 was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih on panel 3. Four candidate pairs participated in the Merauke regent election with the results as follows: Candidate Pair Number 1 Martinus Guntur Ohoiwutun-Prayogo with 8,440 votes, Candidate Pair Number 2 Kristian Tarigan Gepze-Kusmanto with 24,246 votes, the Petitioners with 36,768 votes, and Candidate Pair Number 4 Yoseph B Gebze-Fauzan Nihayah with 45,259 votes.

The Petitioners’ legal counsel Stefanus Timotius Talubun explained that the first category of the alleged TSM violations was the mobilization of state civil apparatus (ASN) to win Candidate Pair Number 4. This was conducted by the head of Muting District through a voting simulation. He was also involved in the victory declaration of Yoseph B. Gebze-Fauzan Nihayah.

“There was the district head’s involvement during the campaign, [where] he conducted a voting simulation together with the regent candidate number 4,” said Stefanus.

The second is the Merauke Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Agency) allegedly not being independent and professional in carrying out its supervisory function. This is related to the involvement of the Muting District head, who only made recommendations to the National Civil Service Agency (BKN).

“Even though we all know that there is a violation of Article 188 and Article 189 of the Regional Election Law, where if this is applied then-candidate pair number 04 should not be able to campaign,” Talubun stated.

The third is money politics committed by a legislative candidate from the political party supporting Candidate Pair Number 4, Priscilla Tania Kalinka Wijaya. Some witnesses claimed to have received voting invitations to voters and/or the C-notification-KWK forms belonging to other people as well as monetary rewards.

The fourth is alleged double voting. The fifth is a voter who used another person’s identity card (KTP) to vote for Candidate Pair Number 4. Sixth, the Merauke Regency KPU was allegedly negligent in exercising its authority.

One evidence of the negligence is the KPPS (polling station working committee) not asking or checking the names on the ID cards and the voting invitations. This has resulted in an increase of voters in the voter lists in Merauke District, Semangga District, Tanah Miring District, Kurik District, Malind District, Jagebob District, Muting District, Ulilin District, and Elikobel District.

“So, they did not ask for the ID Card (KTP) to be verified and even let [them vote]. So, it can be concluded that this [violation] paved the way for what Priscilla did,” Talubun claimed.

The seventh category is Fauzan Nihayah (Vice Regent Candidate Number 4) distributing jet pumps during election silence. The distribution was carried out in Lampu Satu Indah Complex on November 25, 2024, which violated Article 73 paragraph (1) of the Regional Election Law, which states, “Candidates and/or Campaign teams shall be prohibited from promising and/or giving money or other materials to influence Election Organizers and/or Voters.”

The last violation is the Merauke Bawaslu’s recommendation for a revote at TPS (polling stations) 1 and 2 in Bamol Hamlet of Padua District, which was not implemented by the Merauke Regency KPU. The revote recommendation was issued by the Merauke Regency Bawaslu because the KPPS members had marked the ballot papers.

In their petitums, the Petitioners asked the Court to annul the Merauke Regency KPU Decree Number 2255 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Merauke regent election results dated December 6, 2024, and to annul the decree regarding the vote acquisition in Merauke District, Semangga District, Tanah Miring District, Kurik District, Malind District, Jagebob District, Muting District, Ulilin District, and Elikobel District.

They also asked the Court to determine the correct vote acquisition according to the Petitioners as follows: Candidate Pair Number 1 Martinus Guntur Ohoiwutun-Prayogo with 8,440 votes, Candidate Pair Number 2 Kristian Tarigan Gepze-Kusmanto with 24,246 votes, the Petitioners with 36,768 votes, and Candidate Pair Number 4, Yoseph B Gebze-Fauzan Nihayah with 0 vote; or to order the Merauke Regency KPU to cancel and/or disqualify Candidate Pair Number 4.

The Petitioners also provided an alternative: they requested the Court to order the Merauke Regency KPU to conduct a recount of votes in Merauke District and a revote in Semangga District, Tanah Miring District, Malind District, Jagebob District, Muting District, Ulilin District, and Elikobel District.

Author              : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Tiara Agustina
Translator         : Dinita Aktivia/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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