Bawaslu’s representative Rido Akmal Nasution testifying at the examination hearing for case No. 33/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Labuhanbatu regent election results dispute before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2, Thursday (1/23/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The South Labuhanbatu Regency KPU (Elections Commission) as Respondent denied the petition filed by Candidate Pair 03 Ari Wibowo-Azwar Sazali Tanjung in Case No. 33/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, in which they argued vote-buying in the South Labuhanbatu Regency election. It rebuttal was delivered at the examination hearing to hear the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu, and to approve evidence from the parties on Thursday, January 23, 2025.

The Respondent’s legal counsel Abdur Rozzak Harahap clarified that the Respondent had not received any recommendation or decision from Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) concerning the vote-buying allegation raised by the Petitioners. He further emphasized that such violations fall under the authority of Bawaslu, the Integrated Law Enforcement (Gakkumdu), the Police, and the Prosecution. Additionally, he pointed out that at all 617 polling stations (TPS) in Labuhanbatu Regency, the Petitioners’ witnesses had signed the vote recapitulation minutes without any objection.

"The Petitioners argued they did not sign the minutes of the vote counting recapitulation certificate. Yet, as shown in exhibits T-10 and T-11, their witness Wagimana signed the regency/city D-result form," Harahap said.

Therefore, the Respondent requested the Court to reject the Petitioners’ petition in its entirety and to affirm the validity of the Respondent’s decree regarding the certification of the 2024 South Labuhanbatu Regency election results.

On behalf of Candidate Pair 01 Fery Syahputra Simatupang-Syahdian Purba Siboro (Relevant Party), Ahmad Sofyan Hussein Rambe also refuted the Petitioners’ claim of vote-buying in the South Labuhanbatu election. He emphasized that from the registration process through the campaign, election, and vote counting stages at all polling stations, PPS (polling committee), PPK (district election committee), and regency level, the Relevant Party had never received any accusations regarding money politics, as mentioned by the Petitioners.

Therefore, the Relevant Party requested the Court to reject the Petitioners’ petition in its entirety and to affirm the validity and legality of the Respondent’s decree on the certification of the 2024 South Labuhanbatu Regency election.

Meanwhile, the South Labuhanbatu Regency Bawaslu, represented by Rido Akmal Nasution, testified that there had been no reports and/or findings of election violations or requests for election disputes relating to the alleged vote-buying.

Also read: Fery-Syahdian Call for Disqualification Over Alleged Vote Buying and Intimidation

At the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Candidate Pair 03 Ari Wibowo-Azwar Sazali Tanjung (Petitioners) argued that Candidate Pair 01 Fery Sahputra Simatupang-Syahdian Purba Siboro had violated the 2024 Labuhanbatu regent election. They explained that Fery-Syahdian and their campaign team had been involved in a vote-buying violation that included the South Labuhanbatu government apparatus. The violation allegedly involved several government officials, including the regent, regional working unit (SKPD), heads of offices, district heads, village heads, and other lower-level staff.

Therefore, in their petitums, the Petitioners requested that the Court annul the South Labuhan Batu KPU Decree No. 800 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 South Labuhan Batu regent election results announced on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, and the minutes and certification of the vote count recapitulation from each district dated December 3, 2024 concerning the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 01 Fery Sahputra Simatupang and Syahdian Purba Siboro. They also requested the Court to disqualify Candidate Pair 01 from the election.

Author               : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Fauzan Febriyan
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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