Bawaslu, represented by Deden Cahyono in the examination hearing for Case No. 39/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Mesuji Regency election results dispute before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on Panel 2, Monday (1/20/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Respondent, the Mesuji Regency KPU (Elections Commission) refuted the argument made by Candidate Pair 04 Suprapto–Fuad Amrullah (Petitioners) concerning the alleged manipulation of the identity of Regent Candidate 02, Elfianah. The Respondent denied the accusation of failing to conduct verification, stating that Elfianah's candidacy complied with the applicable laws and regulations in the examination hearing for Case No. 39/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Mesuji Regency election results dispute was held on Monday, January 20, 2025. 

“After the Respondent saw and examined all the candidate’s documents in the name of Hj Elfianah S.E., such as the C Package diploma, S1 diploma, and electronic ID card, there was no difference in name as mentioned in the Petitioners’ petition," said the Respondent's legal counsel Frans Handrajadi Perkara before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justice Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani.

The Petitioners argued that Elfianah had manipulated her identity to secure her candidacy. They believed that Elfianah changed her name from Elviana binti Birta without a court order. It is that Elfianah, under the name Elviana binti Birta, was a former convict, as stated in the Supreme Court (MA) Cassation Decision. The Supreme Court Cassation Decision rejected the cassation request from the defendant Hj Elviana binti Birta. Meanwhile, the Tanjung Karang High Court Appeal Decision confirmed that Hj Elviana binti Birta was legally and convincingly proven guilty of selling and distributing subsidized fertilizer outside her designated area, sentencing her to eight months in prison.

The Petitioners stated that Mesuji Regency KPU was not professional in verifying the candidate and requested to disqualify Elfianah. They believe that it is not legally justified for one individual with two names and two different ID cards, Elfianah and Elviana binti Birta.

The Respondent acknowledged that the individual referred to as the defendant and the one who registered as a candidate for regent were indeed the same person. The Respondent’s legal counsel Frans clarified that there had been a mistake in the name writing in the decree. However, they denied any manipulation of identity. The identity of the regent candidate, under the name Elfianah, was consistent with the documents submitted during the candidate registration, including the C Package diploma, Bachelor's degree diploma, and electronic ID card, with no discrepancies in the names. The authenticity of the candidate's identity under the name Hj Elfianah was further confirmed by a letter from the Population and Civil Registration Office of Mesuji Regency.

Meanwhile, the person in question was represented by the Relevant Party’s legal counsel M. Ridho explained that one of the ID cards in the name of Elviana was an old ID card issued while she was living in Tulang Bawang Regency. The spelling on this ID card did not match the birth certificate and the diploma, which was corrected when she moved to Mesuji Regency to align with the birth certificate and diploma. Therefore, the old ID card is no longer valid.

Additionally, the Relevant Party clarified that Elfianah was sentenced to three months in prison with a six-month probation period, not for a crime carrying a sentence of more than five years. Elfianah also became an elected member of the DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) in 2019 because she met the requirement of never having been convicted of a crime punishable by more than five years in prison. At that time, the Chair of the Nasdem Party in Mesuji Regency, Fuad Amrullah had approved Elfianah's candidacy.

"The vice-regent candidate, as the Petitioner, was the party leader of the Relevant Party, and he had signed a letter stating that the person in question, as a Nasdem cadre, confirmed that Elfianah and Elviana were the same individual, Your Honor," said M Ridho.

Besides, the Head of the Mesuji Regency Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body) stated that Elfianah had fulfilled her obligation to disclose her status as a former convict by announcing it through the online news media site www.warta9.com on August 27, 2024. Meanwhile, Bawaslu claimed to have seized the Campaign Equipment (APK) of the Mesuji Regency candidate pairs during the election silence, thus refuting the Petitioners’ argument that APKs were spread during this period.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Mesuji KPU Decree No. 1202 of 2024 on the 2024 certification of the Mesuji Regency election candidate pairs insofar as it concerns the determination of Candidate Pair 2 Elfianah-Yugi Wicaksono and the Mesuji KPU No. 1800 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 regency election results insofar as it concerns the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 2. The Petitioners also requested that the Court rule Candidate Pair 4 Suprapto-Fuad Amrullah as the winner of the Mesuji regency election with 37,978 votes and to order the Mesuji KPU to issue a decree that certifies Candidate Pair 4 as the elected Mesuji regent and deputy regent. Alternatively, the Petitioners requested the Court to order a revote at all polling stations throughout Mesuji Regency, Lampung Province.

Author: Mimi Kartika
Editor   : Tiara Agustina
PR : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator: Syifa Amelia/FS (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

---