The Petitioners’ legal counsels Heru Widodo and Kariadi attending the preliminary hearing for case No. 276/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 on the Southwest Papua governor-vice governor election, Thursday (1/16/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Southwest Papua governor-vice governor Candidate Pair 1 Abdul Faris Umlati and Petrus Kasihiw have filed a petition to the Court, requesting the annulment of the Southwest KPU (Elections Commission) Decree No. 115 of 2024 on the certification of the governor election results. Chief Justice Suhartoyo chaired the hearing along with Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah in panel 1 courtroom on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

On case No. 276/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025, the Petitioners’ legal counsel Heru Widodo revealed the Respondent had certified the following results: Candidate Pair 1 or the Petitioners Abdul Faris Ulati–Petrus Kasihiuw with 79,635 votes, Candidate Pair 2 Gabriel Assem–Lukman Wugaje with 29,219 votes, candidate pair 3 or the Relevant Party Elisa Kambu–Ahmad Nausrau with 144,598 votes, Candidate Pair 4 Yoppie Onesimus Wayangkau–Ibrahim Wugaje with 18,748 votes, and Candidate Pair 5 Bernad Sagrim–Sirajudin Bauw with 36,757 votes, with a total of 308,957 valid votes.

“The Respondent ignored and facilitated ineligible voters or those without resident IDs to vote at polling stations in Raja Ampat Regency, Sorong City, Aimas District, and Sorong Regency,” Heru said while reading the petition from the plenary courtroom.

Political Discrimination

The Petitioners claimed that the vote difference in this election was caused by the violation committed by Candidate Pair 3, and is ground for a revote. They argued that their candidacy was hindered from the beginning.

The Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) declared the Petitioners non-natives, making them ineligible to run in the gubernatorial election. This decision led to political discrimination against the Petitioners and violates Article 20 paragraph (1) of Law 21 of 2001 on Papua Special Autonomy.

Partisanship

The Petitioners argued that there had been authority abuse through the mobilization of local government units (SKPD), third-rank echelons, district heads, sections heads, civil apparatuses (ASN), and election organizers, leading to politically-motivated recommendations.

Furthermore, the Petitioners claimed, the violations in this election included the involvement of civil apparatuses and officials, such as Raja Ampat regional secretary, to hinder the Petitioners, thus violating the principles of democracy.

“Considering these arguments, the Petitioners request the Court to annul the Southwest Papua KPU Decree No. 115 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Southwest Papua governor-vice governor issued on 10 December 2024 at 00:38 Eastern Indonesia Time as relevant to the vote acquisition of the candidate pairs at all polling stations of Raja Ampat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, and Sorong City; to order the Respondent to conduct a revote of the Southwest Papua governor-vice governor election in Raja Ampat Regency, Sorong Regency, and Sorong City, after updating the names of those who have not registered their electronic resident IDs in the these areas,” added Kariadi while reading the petitums.

The petition for case No. 276/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.

Author              : Sri Pujianti
Editor                : N. Rosi
Translator          : Ryan Alfian/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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