Komang Wardiasa testifying on behalf of Bawaslu at the examination hearing on the South Ogan Komering Ulu regent election results dispute before panel2 justices, Monday (1/20/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Relevant Party Candidate Pair 04 Abusama–Misandi accused Candidate Pair 02 Iwan Hermawan–Faisal Ranopa (Petitioners) of committing violations during the South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency election. This accusation was made during the examination hearing for Case No. 136/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Monday, January 20, 2025.

The Relevant Party’s legal counsel Denny Indrayana claimed that the Petitioners had instructed ineligible voters to vote for him by offering a reward of Rp200,000 per person. They also suspected that Iwan Hermawan, one of the Petitioners, had taken a photo with the South Oku DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) chairman, Ulu Danau village head, and two residents of Ulu Danau Village after the candidate pairs were announced, to garner support.

“The Petitioners are the ones who engaged in TSM (structured, systematic, and massive) violations, yet these accusations are being directed at [the Relevant Party] without any evidence,” said Denny Indrayana.

In addition, the Relevant Party refuted the claim of multiple voting. Based on the discovery on January 17, 2025, the Petitioners’ evidence regarding multiple voting consisted only of a statement letter, which was de auditu and lacked notarization, making its credibility questionable, as well as an eight-second video without sound. Furthermore, no evidence of special incident and/or objection forms had been presented.

The Petitioners, who sought a revote at 34 polling stations by canceling 11,238 votes, had failed to support their request, which only raised issues at 33 polling stations. The Relevant Party argued that among all polling stations contested by the Petitioners, only one showed a voting error, and another had double voters. Therefore, the Relevant Party contended that the errors at these two polling stations were not substantial enough for a revote.

The Respondent, the South OKU Regency KPU (Elections Commission), denied the petition’s claim regarding alleged double voters, as these alleged double voters were not registered at other polling stations.

“The individuals the Petitioners claim had voted twice were not registered at any other polling stations,” said the Respondent’s legal counsel Gian Budy Arian before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on Panel 2.

Besides, the South OKU Regency Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body) chairman Doni Candra stated that no recommendation for a revote had been issued at 34 polling stations. He revealed that there were no reports, findings, or objections from candidate witnesses regarding allegations of double voters or forged signatures. Reports related to double voters were directed at KPPS (polling station working committee) members as the reported party, which was considered a violation of the code of ethics, not a violation that required a revote.

Also read: Iwan-Faisal Allege Double Voting in South OKU Regent Election

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the South OKU KPU Decree No. 1911 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 South OKU regent election vote counting recapitulation dated December 6, 2024, concerning the vote counts at the disputed polling stations or district election committee (PPK). They also requested the Court to certify the correct vote acquisition as follows: Candidate Pair 01 with 7,810 votes; Candidate Pair 02 with 82,042 votes; Candidate Pair 03 with 35,091 votes; and Candidate Pair 04 with 81,664 votes. They further requested an order for the South OKU KPU to conduct a revote at 34 polling stations in 26 villages across 9 districts in the regency.

However, the Respondent and the Relevant Party request the Court to reject the petition in its entirety and affirm the validity of the South OKU KPU Decree No. 1911 of 2024. The South OKU KPU certified vote count results are as follows: Candidate Pair 01 Hengki Irawan–Alkadri with 8,043 votes, Candidate Pair 02 Iwan Hermawan–Faisal Ranopa with 85,362 votes, Candidate Pair 03 Heri Martadinata–A Wahab Nawawi with 36,344 votes, and Candidate Pair 04 Abusama–Misnadi with 88,076 votes.

Author         : Mimi Kartika
Editor          : Tiara Agustina
PR              : Fauzan Febriyan
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 Indonesian version will prevail.

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