The Respondent’s (KPU) legal counsel Dipo Lukmanul Akbar at the examination hearing for Case No. 164/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Kapuas regent election results dispute, Wednesday (1/22/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Kapuas regent-vice regent candidates 01 Wiyatno and Dodo (Relevant Party) rejected the Petitioners’ claim that low voter turnout had been caused by the Kapuas Regency KPU (Elections Commission) or the Respondent not postponing voting due to flooding. The Relevant Party argued that the flooding in the four districts of Pasak Talawang, Timpah, Mantangai, and Kapuas Tengah was only ankle-deep (about 10 cm), and not all polling stations in these areas had been affected.

The statement was delivered by the Relevant Party’s legal counsels Mehbob and Jimmy Himawan at the examination hearing on the 2024 regent election results dispute on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The hearing was intended to hear testimonies from the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body). It was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1.

“Based on the Relevant Party’s explanation, the Petitioners’ claim was unfounded and unreasonable, as the Respondent was legally correct in conducting the voting in the four districts. Therefore, the criteria for implementing a revote according to Article 50 paragraph (2) of KPU Regulation No. 17 of 2024 cannot be met in these districts, making it appropriate for the Court to reject the Petitioners’ petition,” explained Mehbob on the argument presented by Candidate Pair 04 Erlin Hardi and Alberkat Yadi (Petitioners) for Case No. 164/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025.

Undelivered Invitations

Meanwhile, the Respondent’s legal counsel Dipo Lukmanul Akbar addressed the allegation that 36,634 voters had not received C-notification KWK forms or the invitations to vote. He clarified that all invitations had been distributed to 295,017 voters listed in the final voter list (DPT). The figure of 36,634 voters, representing 12.4% of the total final voters, referred to invitations that were returned to the polling committee (PPS) after being undelivered due to reasons such as voter’s death, change in domicile address, change in voter status, unknown location of voter, or the absence of family members or trusted persons to receive the forms.

“Therefore, the Petitioners’ claim that the Respondent violated legal obligations by not distributing 36,634 voting invitations, the Respondent considers it merely an unsubstantiated allegation by the Petitioners without strong evidence,” explained Dipo.

Also read: Kapuas Regent Candidates Question Vote Buying, Flooding

At the preliminary examination hearing on Monday, January 13, 2025, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Kapuas KPU Decree No. 1747 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 regent election results. They alleged that the Respondent had reduced voter turnout by failing to postpone voting in several districts affected by flooding. Since November 26, 2024, four districts—Pasak Talawang, Timpah, Kapuas Tengah, and Mantangai—had experienced flooding. According to the D-result regency/city KWK model forms, voter participation in these districts was below the average voter turnout across all districts in the regency.

The Petitioners also raised concerns about the Respondent’s performance in distributing C-notification KWK model forms or voter invitations to 36,634 voters. This issue was identified from the D-recapitulation and C-notification regency/city KWK forms. Psychologically, the Petitioners argued, not receiving an invitation often leads voters to perceive that they lack the right to vote or are unable to do so, contributing to voter absenteeism. They further contended that it was reasonable for residents to abstain from visiting polling stations due to the absence of these invitations. As the supervisory authority over the KPPS (polling station working committee), the Respondent was held accountable for failing to distribute the invitations.

 

Also read:

Petition for Case No. 164/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Statement by Bawaslu

Statement by Relevant Party

Response by the Respondent

 

Author         : Sri Pujianti
Editor          : N. Rosi
Translator    : Nazila Rikhusshuba/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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