The Respondent’s legal counsel Zahru Arqom (left) at the examination hearing for Case No. 218/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 concerning the Makassar City mayoral election results dispute, Tuesday (1/21/2025) in the panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Respondent, the Makassar City KPU (Elections Commission), refuted the argument of obstructing voters from casting their votes, as alleged by Candidate Pair 03 Indira Yusuf Ismail–Ilham Ari Fauzi A Uskara, the Petitioners in Case No. 218/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025. On behalf of the Respondent, Zahru Arqom clarified that the designation of polling stations (TPS) had adhered to KPU Regulation (PKPU) No. 7 of 2024 concerning the preparation of voter lists for elections of governors, regents, mayors, and their deputies.

Zahru explained the matter at the examination hearing presided over by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat (panel chair) and Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman and Enny Nurbaningsih on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. He further stated that the Makassar City KPU had carried out the preparation of TPS, the stages of which start from receiving DP4, synchronization by the KPU, to mapping by the regency/city KPU.

Technically, the certification of voters and TPS is based on the family card (KK), because at the time of the initial measurement of TPS mapping, the provisions require residents in one KK to vote at the same polling station. So, the basis is the family card and the voter’s home address.

The Makassar City KPU distributed the C-notification forms (voting invitations) to voters through the district election committee (PPK). Specifically for Pulau Sangkarang District, the city’s most remote and outermost area, the form was handed over to the PPK on November 21, 2024.

“[The C-notification forms] were delivered to the most remote area, three days before the election, still four days left to vote,” said Zahru in the plenary courtroom.

He further stated that the number of final voter lists (DPT) in the Makassar City mayoral election was 1,037,164, with a voter turnout of 57% compared to 58.98% in 2018 and 59.66% in 2020. These figures indicate minimal changes in voter turnout levels in Makassar City over the years.

Despite voter turnout decreasing by approximately 2%, the Makassar City KPU refuted the argument of intentionally obstructing voters. They also dismissed accusations that any obstruction was done to favor or disadvantage specific candidate pairs.

In addition, the Relevant Party Candidate Pair 01 Munafri Arifuddin–Aliyah Mustika denied the allegation that KPPS (polling station working committee) members had mobilized voters. The Relevant Party’s legal counsel Damang asserted that Munafri Arifuddin–Aliyah Mustika had never hired a campaign team from among the KPPS.

Damang stated, “No reports or findings indicate that any KPPS members were part of the Relevant Party’s campaign team.”

The Relevant Party does not consider the mapping of polling stations as an attempt by the Makassar City KPU to hinder voters. They emphasized that voters had the opportunity to provide corrections to polling station locations during the data update process.

Voters can request the polling committee (PPS) to move their polling station closer to their home. Additionally, according to Circular Letter 2734/PL.02.6-SD/06/2024, which outlines provisions for voting and vote counting, voters can be included in the additional final voter list (DPTb) by using an electronic ID card.

Damang said, “On voting day, when a voter arrives at the polling station with an electronic ID card, the C-notification form can be given to them on the spot. Even without the form, they are still eligible to vote, as long as their identity matches the polling station’s designated area.”

The chairman of the Makassar City Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) Dede Arwinsyah stated that no reports or findings had been made regarding allegations that the KPPS chairperson was a member of a campaign team for any candidate pair. He also confirmed that no reports were indicating that the KPPS chairperson had directed voters to support a specific candidate pair.

Regarding the incident at TPS 28 in Batua Village, a protest was raised by a witness from one of the candidate pairs who observed a KPPS member accompanying voters to the voting booth. However, it was based on an assistance letter issued by the KPPS chairperson.

Dede explained, “The voters who were accompanied were elderly individuals with impaired vision. Therefore, at the end of the vote counting, along with the witnesses, the KPPS deemed the issue resolved, as there was a C-assistance form provided by the Respondent.”

Also read: Due to Violations by Election Organizers, the Makassar Mayor Election Petitioned for a Revote

The Petitioners argued that structured and systematic violations had occurred, hindering voters’ ability to exercise their voting rights in the Makassar mayor election. This issue was highlighted by the large number of voters listed under one family card (KK) yet casting their votes at different polling stations (TPS).

Furthermore, the Petitioners alleged that voter attendance was manipulated in a structured and systematic manner through fake signatures from “ghost voters” on the final voter attendance list (DHPT). They compared the signatures on the ID cards with those on the DHPT across 32 villages and 15 districts.

Author         : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor           : 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 Indonesian version will prevail.

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