The Respondent’s legal counsel Samaratul Fuad in the Examination Hearing for Case No. 60/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 concerning the Payakumbuh City mayoral election dispute. Photo by MKRI/Ifa

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JAKARTA (MKRI) - Payakumbuh City KPU (Elections Commission) responded to the arguments presented in Case No. 60/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 concerning the 2024 Payakumbuh City mayoral election results dispute. This response was presented in the examination hearing to hear the Respondent's Response, the testimony of the Relevant Party, Bawaslu, and the approving evidence from the Parties on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

This examination hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah. The Petitioners are Candidate Pair 01 Supardi–Tri Venindra. Candidate Pair 03 Zulmaeta–Elzadaswarman becomes the Relevant Party.

The Respondent addressed the alleged structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations, such as vote buying occurring in political party offices. In response, the Payakumbuh KPU stated that there were no reports or recommendations from the Payakumbuh Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body), nor any regarding the mobilization of state civil servants (ASN).

"Regarding the alleged violations in the party office, specifically at the Democratic Party office, and the mobilization of ASN, which were argued to be part of a TSM violation, no reports had been submitted to Bawaslu. Additionally, Bawaslu did not issue any recommendations to the Respondent," said Samaratul Fuad, the Respondent’s legal counsel.

The Respondent also denied the argument regarding vote buying in five districts, across 76 polling stations (TPS). They stated that no reports or information from the KPPS (polling station working committee) or TPS Supervisors. Furthermore, no objections were raised by witnesses at the TPS during the election.

“There were no objections at all from the Petitioners’ or participants’ witnesses in 76 TPS," said Fuad.

The Relevant Party also denied the accusation of vote-buying at their party office. They clarified that the individuals present at the Democratic Party Branch Executive Board (DPC) Office were witnesses who had been organized to supervise the election. Additionally, they rejected the claim of providing money to mobilized witnesses during the 2024 Payakumbuh City mayoral election.

"The witnesses came to be officially reimbursed for operational costs," said the Relevant Party’s legal counsel Jimmy Himawan.

The Respondent and the Relevant Party filed identical petitions, requesting the Court to affirm the validity of the Payakumbuh City KPU Decree No. 638 of 2024 concerning the certification of the 2024 Payakumbuh mayoral election results.

Meanwhile, the testifier, Payakumbuh City Bawaslu explained that Bawaslu had issued recommendations regarding the incident at the Democratic Party DPC office on November 27, as argued by the Petitioners. The recommendation led to an investigation by the Police through the Integrated Law Enforcement, but the case was ultimately closed (SP3).

"There is something about Jhon Ricardo, Your Honor. The Police were asked to continue to the investigation level from Integrated Law Enforcement, but in the end, the case was stopped (SP3), Your Honor," said the Head of Payakumbuh Bawaslu, Aan Muharman.

Additionally, Payakumbuh City Bawaslu explained that a recommendation was issued regarding the KPPS, which only provided one type of ballot at the TPS, while two types of ballots should have been made available to voters. Therefore, Payakumbuh City Bawaslu issued a recommendation, which was subsequently followed up by the Payakumbuh KPU.

"So has it been followed up?" asked Constitutional Justice M. Guntur Hamzah.

"A written warning to the relevant district KPPS members," said Aan Muharman.

Also read: Mandate Letter Questioned in Payakumbuh Mayoral Election Dispute

In the preliminary hearing on January 10, 2025, the Petitioners raised concerns about TSM violations in five districts: Lamposi Tigo Nagori, West Payakumbuh, South Payakumbuh, East Payakumbuh, and North Payakumbuh. The alleged violation of voters' ID cards and family cards (KK), followed by the issuance of "Mandate Letters." They believed that the purpose of these Mandate Letters was to make it appear as if the individuals who were registered were appointed as mandate witnesses at the polling stations.

"The Letter of Mandate and the Party Membership Card are just an attempt to deceive Bawaslu as if the money given was not vote-buying, but money for witnesses of the mandate and party members," said the Petitioners’ legal counsel Rivaldi.

In its petitums, the Petitioners requested that the Court to annul the Payakumbuh City KPU Decree No. 636 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Payakumbuh mayoral election results, disqualify the Relevant Party, and order the Respondent to conduct a revote at all polling stations in Payakumbuh.

The Petition for Case No. 60/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.
Response by the Respondent
Statement by Bawaslu
Statement by the Relevant Party

Author: Ashri Fadilla.
Editor: N. Rosi.

Translator: Syifa Amelia/FS

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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