The Repondent’s legal counsels Sahat M. Hutagalung (first from left) and Suryantara (first from right) attending the examination hearing for case No. 253/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 on the Pematangsiantar mayoral election results dispute in panel 3 courtroom, Monday (1/20/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held another hearing for the 2024 Pematangsiantar mayor-vice mayor election result dispute on Monday, January 20, 2025. Candidate Pair Susanti Dewayani and Ronald Darwin Tampubolon are the Petitioners in case No 253/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025.

In response to the petition, legal counsel of Wesly Silalahi–Herlina (Relevant Party) Ahmad Irwandi Lubis denied the vote-buying allegation. “We denied [the claim], instead the Petitioners who committed the vote-buying. We have evidence PT-16 from a sample in Kebon Sayur Village showing cash distribution of Rp150,000. The Petitioners’ votes were significant there, 1,011, while the Relevant Party received only around 700,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Respondent’s legal counsel Sahat M. Hutagalung stated that the Petitioners had failed to present evidence of violations affecting their votes. “The Respondent refutes the Petitioners’ arguments as they could not provide sufficient facts and evidence to prove that vote-buying was not an individual act, rather a collective act committed structurally by the government or the election organizer,” he emphasized.

Moreover, the Respondent addressed the panel’s inquiry about any objections to the vote recapitulation result at the level of Pematangsiantar City.

“There were no objections from the witnesses, Your Honors,” Hutagalung stressed.

Similarly, the Pematangsiantar Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) chairman Nanang Wahyudi stated that there was no evidence of vote-buying by Candidate Pair 1 during the campaign as noted in the supervisory report (LHP).

In the report, Pematangsiantar Bawaslu stated that there had been no violations involving the distribution of Rp150,000 cash to voters. Also, there was no indication of massive “serangan fajar” or “dawn attack” (lit.), cash distribution to voters before election day.

As a preventive measure to maintain election integrity, the Pemantangsiantar City Bawaslu issued an advisory letter to candidate pairs, strongly prohibiting them from promising and/or distributing money or other materials to influence voters or the election.

Also read: Susanti-Ronald Allege Money Politics in Pematangsiantar Mayor Election

At the preliminary hearing, legal counsel Ucu Kohar highlighted the alleged practice of money politics committed by the Relevant Party’s campaign team. According to the Petitioners, the campaign team had openly distributed Rp150,000 per voter as a bribe to encourage support for the Relevant Party. As such, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the vote acquisition of the Relevant Party and declare Susanti Dewayani-Ronald Darwin Tampubolon the elected candidate pair with a total of 43,580 valid votes.

Author               : Utami Argawati
Editor                : Tiara Agustina
PR                     : Tiara Agustina
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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