The Respondent’s legal counsels Jufaldi (right) and Alianto (left) at the hearing for Case No. 237/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Sampang Regency election results dispute, Friday (1/17/2025) in the panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.
JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Sampang Regency KPU (Elections Commission) as Respondent refuted all arguments filed by Candidate Pair 01 Muhammad Bin Mu’afi Zaini–Abdullah Hidayat (Gus Mamak-Mas AB), the Petitioners for Case No. 237/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. At the examination hearing concerning the Sampang Regency election results dispute, the Respondent asserted that all stages of voter data update have been done as per procedure, including final voter lists (DPT) which list deceased people and people who are out of town.
On behalf of the Respondent, Jufaldi, stated that during the voter data verification by the voter data update officers, no requests were made to remove the names of deceased voters. This aligns with Article 13 paragraph (4) letter h of KPU Regulation No. 7 of 2024, which requires an official document from the relevant authority before a name can be removed from the DPT. Similarly, for voters currently out of town, the KPU stated that unless an official report regarding their relocation is submitted, their names will remain listed in the DPT.
“In the voter data verification process from April 24, 2024 to September 17, 2024, no recommendations as claimed by the Petitioners were received regarding the removal of 145 names listed in the petition, we believe that the recapitulation process for certifying the final voter list carried out by the Sampang KPU had adhered to the applicable regulations,” Jufaldi asserted. He added that the removal was not undertaken because no recommendations were given by either the public or Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body).
Regarding the seven areas in question, Jufaldi stated, at all polling stations mentioned in the petition, there were no objections from the Petitioners’ witnesses as indicated in the C-incident form. Furthermore, the Respondent refuted any allegations of violations during the vote recapitulation process. The Petitioners’ witnesses did not submit objections in the C-result model forms at the polling stations and the district recapitulation level, as recorded in the D-incident form. They even signed the C-result model forms, signifying their agreement with the vote-counting results at the polling stations.
Responding to the allegation of the partiality of civil apparatus (ASN), in their written statement, the Respondent explained that the Petitioners’ arguments were groundless. The report alleging ASN’s involvement during the campaign was not supported by an official decree from the Sampang Regency Bawaslu. Furthermore, the KPU clarified that school principals and village heads are not inherently prohibited from campaigning, as long as they are provided with the necessary permission following the applicable regulations. Thus, The KPU requested the Court to reject all of the petition, citing failure to provide compelling evidence to substantiate allegations of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations. As a result, the KPU deemed the Petitioners’ arguments as mere narratives without a solid legal basis.
Relevant Party Accuses Petitioners’ Supporters of Anarchy
At the hearing, panel 3 also heard the testimony of Candidate Pair Slamet Junaidi–Ahmad Mahfudz (Relevant Party) and Sampang Regency Bawaslu. On behalf of the Relevant Party, Muhammad Soleh revealed that on November 17, 2024, the Petitioners’ supporters blocked the Relevant Party from visiting Ketapang Regency. He explained, “Fortunately, our candidates were safe, but our supporter, our prospective witness at the polling station, passed away after being beaten by hundreds of people.”
The Relevant Party also denied the allegation of irregularities regarding 100% voter turnout at TPS (polling station) 001 to TPS 004 in Jrenguan Village, Omben District, where the Petitioners received zero votes. It was denied as it would be reasonable for the Petitioners to receive no votes in this election. This was supported by video evidence showing the Petitioners’ witnesses stating that they voted for the Relevant Party, not the Petitioners. Soleh further emphasized, “The perfect attendance is not a legal violation; instead, the KPU deserves recognition.”
Head of Sampang Regency Bawaslu Muhalli stated an analysis conducted by the Sampang Regency Gakkumdu (Integrated Law Enforcement) concluded that the actions of the reported party did not meet the criteria for an election crime. However, an evaluation by Sampang Regency Bawaslu revealed that 15 KPPS (polling station working committee) chairpersons and their members were found to have violated the code of ethics for election organizers. In contrast, 37 KPPS chairpersons and their members were deemed not to have committed any violations, while the involvement of 50 KPPS chairpersons and their members in ethical breaches could not be confirmed.
Bawaslu Denies ASN Mobilization
The Sampang Regency Bawaslu testified on the report involving Surayyah, an ASN principal of State Elementary School Bancelok 1 in Jrengik. After investigation, Surayyah was proven to have attended an event and took a photo with a two-finger pose alongside Candidate Pair 02. However, the investigated witnesses could not ensure whether the event was part of an official campaign, as explicit statements or encouragement to support a particular candidate pair was not found.
“Sampang Regency Bawaslu has received a report concerning an allegation of election violation submitted by Mahfud on Monday, October 21, 2024. The report was submitted through an official form and had a receipt. Following a review, the Sampang Regency Bawaslu issued a report status notification on October 28, 2024, stating that the actions of the reported party did not meet the criteria for an election crime but were found to have violated other laws and regulations,” stated Muhalli.
Also read: Gus Mamak-Mas AB Dispute Sampang Regency Election Results
At the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, January 8, 2024, the Petitioners argued that violations due to the lack of neutrality and the involvement of the election organizers in the simultaneous election in Sampang Regency were spread evenly across 11 out of 14 districts. Votes were also cast by ineligible individuals at 208 polling stations and it was spread in 11 districts and 60 villages. The Petitioners revealed that their team had uncovered dozens of deceased voters. Therefore, they believe violations in Sampang were massive.
Considering a large number of problems in Sampang, since November 29, 2024, the Petitioners’ team made reports of those violations to the Sampang Regency Bawaslu and the Provincial Bawaslu. They also uncovered evidence of violations by civil servants, in this case village heads or school principals, who failed to show neutrality and instead supported the Relevant Party.
Based on their arguments, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the results of the 2024 Sampang Regency election and declare them null and void. They also requested the Court to order a revote at 208 polling stations across 60 villages in 14 districts in Sampang Regency. In addition, they requested that the Relevant Party be disqualified from the 2024 Sampang Regency election due to various alleged violations. With the arguments of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations, they hope that the Court grants a fair and transparent decision for the sake of democracy in Sampang Regency.
Author : Utami Argawati
Editor : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Tiara Agustina
Translator : Syifa Amelia/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 Indonesians version will prevail.
Friday, January 17, 2025 | 13:52 WIB 147