Tanimbar Islands KPU Confirms Bormasa-Serin Petition was Overdue

The Principal Respondent Christian Matruty and legal counsel La Radi Eno in the examination hearing for Case No. 243/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the Tanimbar Islands Regency election results dispute. Photo by MKRI/Ifa

JAKARTA (MKRI) – The examination hearing on Thursday, January 23, 2025, highlights the deadline for filing a petition in Case No. 243/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 filed by Candidate Pair 01 Tanimbar Islands Adolof Bormasa-Henrikus Serin. The hearing was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justice Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah to hear the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu, and approve evidence from all parties.

In the 2024 Tanimbar Islands Regency election results dispute, the Petitioners filed their application on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. However, the Tanimbar Islands KPU (Elections Commission) argued that it should have been submitted by Monday, December 9, 2024, within the three working days following the certification of the election results.

As the Respondent, the Tanimbar Islands KPU admitted to having certified the vote acquisition results on Thursday, December 5, 2024. "It should have been Monday, Your Honor. We calculated the day because the PMK stated it was based on three working days. It should have been Monday at 23.59, Your Honor. He registered it on Tuesday at 22.40," said the Respondent's legal counsel La Radi Eno.

The Respondent also pointed out the Petitioners’ legal standing, citing the vote difference with the winning candidate was 12.35%. According to Article 158 of the Law on the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors, the Tanimbar Islands, with a population of 131,368, stipulate that the maximum allowable vote difference is 2%.

“Also, regarding legal standing,” said Eno.

“Does it go beyond Article 158?” asked Chief Justice Suhartoyo.

“Yes, it really does,” asserted Eno.

The Relevant Party, Candidate Pair 03 Ricky Jauwerissa-Juliana Chatarina Ratuanak, represented by legal counsel Denny Indrayana was also concerned about the deadline and the Petitioners’ legal standing in filing the petition. They argued that the petition should have been filed on Monday, December 9, 2024, not Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Furthermore, they argued that the revision of the petition was also overdue.

"The petition revision was also overdue, it should have been on Wednesday, but it was submitted on Friday. So, in case 243, we request an exception be made regarding the deadline," asserted Denny.

Similarly, concerning legal standing, the Relevant Party believes that the Petitioners do not meet the required threshold to file a petition. Meanwhile, they generally refuted the Petitioners’ arguments on their substance, including allegations of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) vote buying.

"There were three reports submitted to Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body). All of them were related to money politics being stopped, but not pursued further to be TSM reports," revealed Denny.

The Tanimbar Islands Bawaslu had never issued recommendations for alleged money politics or other violations.

“Any recommendations?” confirmed Chief Justice Suhartoyo

“No, there is not,” revealed Mathias Alubwaman, the Head of Tanimbar Islands Bawaslu

Also read: Money Politics Revealed in Seven Districts in Tanimbar Islands Regent Election

The Petition was previously presented in the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The Petitioners argued that TSM money politics occurred in seven out of the ten districts in the Tanimbar Islands Regency between October 3 and November 26, 2024.

They also alleged violations committed by the election organizers, including KPPS (polling station working committee) and the TPS Supervisory Committee allowing several voters to be directed during voting. Additionally, the Petitioners raised concerns about 40 ballot boxes being transferred from Selaru District to Saumlaki City, despite the plenary vote counting at the Selaru District PPK (district election committee) level not yet being conducted.

Also read:

Resignation Requirement, Vote Buying, and Transfer of Ballot Boxes Challenged

Candidate Pair 03 Melkianus Sairdekut-Kelvin Keliduan filed a petition in Case No. 161/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the 2024 Tanimbar Islands Regency election results dispute. They alleged TSM violations with the Tanimbar Islands Regency KPU as the Respondent.

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Tanimbar Islands KPU Confirms Bormasa-Serin Petition was Overdue