Moch Fauzan Ja’far (Relevant Party) at the examination hearing for Case No. 63/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Bangkalan regent election results dispute, Friday (1/17/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – A vote buying practice known as “serangan fajar” or “dawn attack” (lit.) during the 2024 Bangkalan regent election was once again a key issue at the hearing for Case No. 63/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Bangkalan regent election results dispute. At this examination hearing on Friday, January 17, 2025, aimed to hear the testimonies of the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu and validate evidence, the Bangkalan KPU (Elections Commission) presented its response.

In this case, the Bangkalan KPU is the Respondent, Bangkalan regent-vice regent candidates 02 Mathur Husyairi and Jayus Salam are the Petitioners, and candidates 02 Lukman Hakim and Moch Fauzan Ja’far are the Relevant Party.

Represented by legal counsel M. Faiz Putra Syanel, the Bangkalan KPU (Respondent) stated that the Petitioners had not specifically identified the parties giving or receiving the money. According to the Respondent, the Petitioners had only broadly described the alleged vote-buying or “money politics” across 18 districts in Bangkalan Regency. The Respondent specifically denied the Petitioners’ allegation of vote buying involving polling station working committees (KPPS).

“The Respondent firmly rejects the Petitioners’ argument that KPPS members in Konang District, specifically in Bandung Village, distributed 50,000 in cash while handing out C-6 notification forms, or voting invitation letters, to voters,” said Faiz.

The Respondent argued that the Petitioners had not provided evidence identifying the specific KPPS members involved. Additionally, the Petitioners’ report to Bangkalan Bawaslu regarding the issue did not lead to the issuance of a recommendation letter.

In addition to vote-buying, the Respondent also denied the allegations of partiality raised by the Petitioners in their petition. The Respondent explained that the biased polling stations mentioned by the Petitioners had not recorded any objections from the Petitioners at any point.

“If the Petitioners disagreed with the recapitulation at the polling station level mentioned above, their witnesses should have raised objections or refused to sign the C-results model forms at the polling stations in question,” said Faiz.

Therefore, the Bangkalan KPU as well as Bangkalan regent candidate 01 Moch Fauzan Ja’far (Relevant Party) requested the Court to affirm the validity of the Bangkalan KPU Decree No. 2376 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Bangkalan regent election results dispute.

The Relevant Party also testified regarding allegations of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations. They argued those allegations should not have been raised, as they fall outside the authority of the Court.

“The Petitioners’ petition does not pertain to administrative TSM violations in regional head elections, which fall outside the Court’s jurisdiction. The Court’s authority to adjudicate and rule on administrative violations in regional head elections is limited to cases directly tied to the principles of direct, public, free, confidential, honest, and fair elections as the ultimate standard,” said the Relevant Party’s legal counsel M. Syarifuddin.

Also read: Vote Buying in Bangkalan Regency Election Result Dispute

Meanwhile, the Bangkalan Bawaslu, acting as a testifier, stated that they had issued 13 recommendation letters for the Bangkalan regent election. Five of these letters included recommendations for a revote.

“There are 5 polling stations that we recommended to the KPU. Four of them have to do with a revote, and one with a recount,” said Bangkalan Bawaslu chairperson Ahmad Mustain Saleh.

Meanwhile, other recommendations were related to recount, data comparison, and the enforcement of code of ethics, which have been implemented.

Also read:

Case No. 62/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Response by the Respondent

Statement by Bawaslu

Statement by the Relevant Party

Author              : Ashri Fadilla
Editor                : N. Rosi
Translator         : Nazila Rikhusshuba/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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