The Respondent’s legal counsel Julianer Aditia Warman testifying at the examination hearing for case No. 159/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Morowali regent election result dispute,Thursday (1/23/2025) in panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Morowali Regency Elections Commission (KPU) as the Respondent denied all arguments filed by candidate pair 1 Taslim and Asgar Ali (Petitioners). The Respondent delivered the statement at the Morowali regent election results dispute hearing for Case No. 159/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat presided over the hearing, accompanied by Constitutional Justices Anwar Usman and Enny Nurbaningsih in panel 3 courtroom, Thursday, January 23, 2025.

The Respondent’s legal counsel Julianer Aditia Warman refuted the Petitioners’ argument based on the legal facts and verification result from the Election Organizer Ethics Council (DKPP).

“In the Petitioners’ petition on alleged structured violations, the Morowali Regency KPU would like to emphasize that the report filed by the Petitioners was verified by DKPP and dismissed on January 6, 2025,” stated Julianer.

Regarding other allegations of structured violations, the Morowali Regency KPU stated that the report filed by the Petitioners’ legal counsel on alleged violations by six district election committees (PPK) from several districts (Central Bungku, West Bungku, Bahodopi, and Bungku Pesisir) led to the suspension of these PPKs. This action was based on evidence and aligned with the Central KPU’s decree on the technical guidance for addressing violations of code of ethics.

Julianer further explained that the Morawali Regency KPU had formed an investigation team to interview the witnesses, including Amila Hi, Moh. Ali, Farha Nuhun, Saleh, and the reporting witness, Sumardi. The investigation was conducted thoroughly based on the evidence provided by the Petitioners.

“On the Petitioner’s report alleging that the polling station working committee (KPPS) in Labota Village had allegedly manipulated the Petitioners’ witness to vote outside the polling stations and gave money as a reward, the Morowali Regency KPU would like to assert that the Morowali Regency Bawaslu never issued any recommendation or decree on said allegation,” Julianer explained.

Regarding other alleged violations of the law, the Morowali Regency KPU denied a revote at 27 polling stations as claimed in the petition. Evidence indicates only two polling stations (TPS 6 and 7) in Bahodopi Village were recommended for revote by the district elections supervisory committee (Panwascam). This decision was discussed and approved at a plenary meeting of the Morowali Regency KPU, resulting in the issuance of Decree No. 1625 of 2024.

As such, the Morowali Regency KPU stated that all decisions had been based on prevailing regulations and valid legal facts. They also committed to performing their duty professionally and transparently for honest and fair elections.

Candidate pair 3 Iksan-Iriane Ilyas (Relevant Party) shared the same sentiment. Their legal counsel expressly refuted the Petitioners’ argument on TSM violations.

“Instead, the Petitioners themselves as the incumbent candidate pair, committed TSM violations,” stated Ikhwan. He added that all allegations have been investigated and examined thoroughly.

Ikhwan explained that the Relevant Party expressly refuted the Petitioners’ allegation that three Morowali KPU members had received money from the Relevant Party. “The Relevant Party did not provide hundreds of millions of rupiah and Bawaslu also concluded that the allegation was not proven,” he emphasized.

He also refuted the Petitioners’ allegation of pre-marked ballots outside the polling stations of Labota Village and stated that it was groundless. The Petitioners did not specify who ordered the pre-marked ballots or which polling stations were involved, making the argument questionable. The Relevant Party stated that the Petitioners had fabricated the allegation.

Morowali Regency Bawaslu member Elsevin Lansinara stated that they had received a report on December 8, 2024, alleging election violations. Subsequently, on December 19, 2024, they issued a status report notification stating the report would not be further investigated as the actions were not election violations.

Violation Report

Moreover, the Morowali Regency Bawaslu received another report on December 8, 2024, alleging a violation by three members of Morawali Regency KPU who had received hundreds of millions of rupiah from candidate pair 3. They investigated the allegation, but on December 19, 2024, they issued another status report notification form stating the report was also dismissed as it did not constitute an election violation.

Also read: Taslim-Asgar Ali Reveal Alleged Bribery and Fraud in Morowali Regent Election

At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners stated that three Morowali KPU members had been suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of rupiahs from the Relevant Party. Additionally, the Petitioners accused PPK members of offering to manipulate the Morowali regent election for an estimated value of Rp3.16 billion. Consequently, several PPK members have been s[1] uspended by the Morowali Regency KPU.

The Petitioners also revealed additional violations on voting in Labota Village. They stated that pre-marked ballots had been placed outside the polling stations, specifically in a container located within the PT Tirta Jaya Bersaudara area. This allegation was supported by witnesses who testified to having directly experienced and witnessed the incident on voting day.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Morowali KPU Decree No. 1020 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Morowali regent election results, dated 6 October 2024. They also requested the Court to declare that candidate pair Iksan and Iriane Ilyas proven to have legally and convincingly committed TSM violations.

“[We request the Court to] disqualify the Morowali regent and vice regent candidate pair 3 Iksan Baharuddin Abdul Rauf-Iriane Iliyas in the Morowali election. [We also requested the Court to] order the Morowali Regency KPU to issue a decree on the certification of candidate pair 1 Taslim and Asgar Ali K. as the elected regent-vice regent in the 2024 Morowali regional head election,” added Ruslan, the Petitioners’ legal counsel.

Author         : Utami Argawati
Editor          : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR              : Tiara Agustina
Translator    : Ryan Alfian/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

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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