Doni Aria Saputra (Bawaslu) while providing testimony during the examination hearing for Case No. 120/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, regarding the Regent Election Results Dispute (PHPU Bup). The hearing took place before Panel 2, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and accompanied by Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA, MKRI - The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of Kerinci Regency stated that it had received 112 reports and findings regarding alleged violations in the continued hearing of Case No. 120/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 of the 2024 Kerinci Regent Election. These include accusations of neutrality violations involving State Civil Apparatus (ASN), village heads, and village officials.

According to Doni Aria Saputra, a member of Kerinci Bawaslu, the alleged neutrality violations indicated partiality toward both the Relevant Party and the Petitioners. “There is also partiality toward the Petitioners, Your Honour,” Doni stated during the continued examination hearing of the 2024 Kerinci Regent Election Results Dispute. The hearing, held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, was presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, alongside Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in Panel 2.

Bawaslu Kerinci reported receiving at least 25 findings alleging that State Civil Apparatus (ASN) supported and campaigned for Candidate Pair Number 3, Monadi and Murison (Relevant Parties). Following these findings, Bawaslu Kerinci issued official statements confirming that the findings involved violations of legislation related to ASN neutrality. The agency subsequently forwarded its recommendations based on the study results to the State Personnel Agency (BKN) for further action in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. However, no follow-up action has been taken on the recommendations submitted by Bawaslu Kerinci.

The no follow-up recommendations also occurred in 16 out of 24 reports/findings that proved violations of the village head neutrality. Bawaslu Kerinci recommended the existence of elements of other alleged violations of legislation related to the neutrality of the village head to the Regent of Kerinci and forwarded to the Directorate General of Village Governance of the Ministry of Home Affairs so that it can be followed up in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. However, there has been no follow-up on the recommendations submitted by Bawaslu Kerinci.

“Until today we have conducted surveillance, [but] there has been no follow-up,” asserts Doni.

Meanwhile, the Kerinci Regency KPU as the Respondent said that the Petitioner did not explain the existence of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations that affected the vote acquisition of the election results. Instead, the Petitioner postulated past violations by ASN officials without elaborating on the influence of these violations on the majority vote acquisition by the Relevant Parties.

“The Petitioners is unable to clearly describe the overall violation of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) elements which include the area, number of voters, intensity, and series of actions in the 2024 Kerinci Regent Elections,” said Respondent's legal counsel R Surya Nuswantoro.

On the other hand, the Relevant Party also rejected the arguments of the Petitioners, candidate number 4 Deri Mulyadi and Aswanto, such as fraudulent practices in the form of support from the Acting Regent. The Petitioners failed to describe the conflict of interest and its relevance regarding the violations committed by the Acting Regent and the Acting Head of the Education Office which are considered detrimental to the Petitioners.

“The alleged involvement of the Kerinci Acting Regent to win Candidate Pair Number 3 Monadi-Murison, besides still having the status of allegations, is also not explained in the petition to the extent of his involvement, when, and where the winning action occurred and what the impact was, nor is it described what his relationship is with the Relevant Party candidate pair so that the alleged violations are blurred and unclear,” stated the Relevant Party legal counsel Heru Widodo.

The Petitioner in its petitum requests the Court to cancel the Decree of the Kerinci Regency KPU No. 1904 concerning the Certification of the 2024 Kerinci Regent Election Results; declare candidate number 3 Monadi-Murison disqualified and establish candidate number 4 Deri Mulyadi-Aswanto as the winner; and order the Kerinci KPU to conduct a re-voting in all areas of Kerinci Regency without involving candidate number 3 Monadi-Murison.

Author  : Mimi Kartika
Editor   : Tiara Agustina
PR   : Fauzan Febriyan
Translators: Dinita Aktivia/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.

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