The Respondent’s legal counsel Josua Victor at the examination hearing for Case No. 37/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Pohuwato Regency election results dispute, Thursday (1/232025) in the panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) held an examination hearing for Case No. 37/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Pohuwato Regency election results dispute. The Respondent, the Pohuwato Regency KPU (Elections Commission) asserted that the alleged vote inflation was unfounded.

The Respondent’s legal counsel Jufaldi explained that the difference between the final voter list (DPT) and the leftover ballots can be explained logically. This is due to the presence of relocated voters who cast their ballots for different types of election, one ballot for the gubernatorial election and two ballots for the regency election. Hence, the argument that there should be no difference between the number of DPT and leftover ballots was baseless.

“One ballot for the gubernatorial election and two ballots for the regency election are logical factors that cause the difference of one leftover unused ballot,” explained Jufaldi.

The Respondent argued that the Petitioners have misunderstood in comparing the leftover ballots from the Gorontalo gubernatorial election with those from the Pohuwato Regency election. The Respondent believed that such discrepancy was influenced by several factors, including the DPT, additional final voter list (DPTb), relocated voter list (DPPh), and special voter list (DPK) recorded in C-results forms.

“If there is a difference between the number of voters and the number of valid votes recorded in the C-result forms, it can be said that maybe an error in the recapitulation process at the polling station level happened. Yet, no such difference was found here, so the alleged vote inflation was not proven,” explained Jufaldi.

About the process of correcting vote acquisition at the TPS (polling station) level, the Respondent clarified that all corrections had been in compliance with the procedures outlined in the applicable laws and regulations. Corrections to the figures in the C-results forms were made by giving initials at the incorrect numbers with two horizontal lines. These were approved by the Petitioners’ witnesses, as evidenced by their signatures on the D-results-district-KWK form in each district.

“It is wrong for the Petitioners too say that the Respondent deliberately did not initial the votes during the correction process at the polling stations. It was all done according to procedure and approved by the witnesses,” added Jufaldi.

Candidate Pair 02 Saipul A. Mbuiga-Iwan S. Adam (Relevant Party), represented by Nopiyansah, firmly refuted the Petitioners’ allegation of discrepancies in the vote recapitulation process. They stressed that during the recapitulation at TPS 001 in West Wonggarasi Village, Lemito District, no objections were raised by the Petitioners’ witnesses. The Petitioners’ witnesses even signed the minutes of the certificate and notes on the vote counting results at the TPS for the regent and vice-regent election (C-results-KWK-regent model form), as evidenced by Exhibit PT 12.

A similar instance was seen at TPS 002 in Kenari Village, Lemito District, where the Petitioners’ witnesses raised no objections in the recapitulation process. The witnesses did the same thing, demonstrating that the entire process was conducted following established procedures and agreed upon by all parties present.

The Pohuwato Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) chairman also testified before Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat and members of panel 3. Representing Bawaslu, Yolanda Harun testified officially on the implementation of the vote recapitulation process at the district level during the 2024 Pohuwato Regency election.

Also read: Yusri Helingo-Fatmawaty Syarief Allege the Pohuwato Regent Election Results

Pohuwato regent-vice regent candidates 01 Yusri M. Helingo and Fatmawaty Syarief argued that there were discrepancies between the C1 form for the regent election and the C1 form for the governor election of Gorontalo, despite both forms being based on the same final voter list (DPT). The Petitioners highlighted that the Pohuwato KPU had uploaded the C1 forms for the regent election from TPS 2 in Telaga Village, Popayato District, which they claimed to have contained inconsistencies.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested that the Court annul the Pohuwato KPU Decree No. 1376 of 2024, dated December 4, 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Pohuwato regent election results and certify the vote acquisition dated December 3, 2024; order the Respondent to conduct a revote at all problematic polling stations across the regency; and order the Respondent to cross out Candidate Pair 02 because they are considered not to meet the requirements as candidates for regent and vice regent of Pohuwato.

Author            : Utami Argawati
Editor             : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                 : 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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