The Respondent's legal counsel Stefanus Budiman (second from the right) testifying at the examination hearing for Case No. 229/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Yahukimo regent election results dispute, Friday (1/24/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Yahukimo KPU (Election Commission) asserted that they had conducted the recapitulation process for the Yahukimo regent election transparency and accountability. Acting as the Respondent for Case No. 229/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, the KPU refuted the vote transfer and reduction alleged by Candidate Pair 02 Yosep Payage and Mari Mirin (Petitioners).

The case progressed to the examination hearing, where testimonies from the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) were heard, and evidence was validated. The hearing was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat, Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih on panel 3 on Friday, January 24, 2025.

Stefanus Budiman, as the Respondent's legal counsel, explained that the voting process for the Yahukimo regent election employed the noken* or ikat system, with the exception of polling stations (TPS) in Dekai District. The Petitioners alleged incidents of vote transfer and reduction in ten districts, namely Silimo, Amuma, Puldama, Suntamon, Langda, Wusama, Tangma, Ukha, Dirwemna, and Nipsan Districts.

Stefanus Budiman further elaborated that Yahukimo Regency comprises 51 districts, 511 villages, and 761 polling stations. He noted that the Petitioners argued they were entitled to receive 66,625 votes from the 10 districts in question. However, based on the recapitulation results by the Yahukimo KPU, Candidate Pair 02 was recorded as receiving a total of 33,639 votes from these districts.

“Regarding the argument that there were changes in votes from the 10 districts during the recapitulation process at the regency level in Dekai District, it is not true. In fact, the recapitulation at the regency level was conducted openly and transparently," Stefanus asserted in the plenary courtroom.

The transparency of the recapitulation system was demonstrated by the reading of the vote acquisition from each district by the head of the district election committee (PPD) together with the district supervisory committee (Pandis). The process was also observed by witnesses from both candidate pairs and the police.

"Regarding the Petitioners’ arguments concerning the figures in these 10 districts, the Respondent was quite surprised as these figures were derived from our interviews and field findings. It was only at this petition that these figures were introduced. During the recapitulation process at both the district and regency levels, these figures were not presented, thus preventing any opportunity for comparison at that time," stated Stefanus.

Furthermore, the Yahukimo KPU conducted a coordination meeting on November 16, 2024, with the Central KPU commissioners, Yahukimo Acting Regent, Yahukimo Bawaslu, Yahukimo Police Chief, and Yahukimo Commander of Military District Command 1715. The purpose of the meeting was to anticipate any potential shifting, reduction, or manipulation of votes during the regent election.

“In essence, the agreement reached during the meeting was that, in order to prevent any diversions or alterations, it was decided that the recapitulation would take place in the yard of the Yahukimo KPU Office. A tabulation board would be set up, with one board dedicated to the governor's vote acquisition and another for the regent's vote acquisition," explained Stefanus.

"Every PPD arriving in the capital city to carry out the district recapitulation will be directly picked up from Dekai Airport and taken straight to the open recapitulation location, where the results will be read aloud. This process is conducted in a completely transparent and controlled manner, leaving no opportunity for the PPD or anyone else to alter the votes," he added.

Meanwhile, Candidate Pair 01 Didimus Yahuli-Esau Miram (Relevant Party) also denied any allegations of vote reduction or transfer in the 10 districts. The Relevant Party's legal counsel Habel Rumbiak argued that the Petitioners had, in fact, transferred votes from Candidate Pair 01 to Candidate Pair 02.

"For instance, in the evidence P-1 that we submitted, regarding Amuma District, there are vote acquisitions for each candidate. As an example of the pattern presented by the Petitioners, in Amuma District, the Relevant Party received 3,483 votes, while the Petitioners received 9,382. In fact, the Petitioners had garnered more votes," said Habel.

In the same hearing, the Yahukimo Bawaslu acknowledged that they did not receive any reports regarding the reduction and transfer of votes as claimed. They also carried out their supervisory duties during the vote recapitulation at both the district and regency levels, up until the determination of the results in Dekai District.

"At the time of the determination, Yahukimo Bawaslu did not find any discrepancies in the votes at the district level or during the determination," said Yahukimo Bawaslu chairperson Yusem Bahabol.

Also read: Yosep-Mari Argue Alleged Vote Reduction in Yahukimo Regent Election

In the preliminary examination hearing held on Thursday, January 16, 2025, the Petitioners alleged the reduction and transfer of votes during the recapitulation process in 10 districts. In more detail, the change in votes occurred as follows: in Silimo District (from 13,379 votes to 7,676 votes); in Amuma District (from 12,864 votes to 9,381 votes); in Puldama District (from 5,677 votes to 1,135 votes); in Suntamon District (from 4,298 votes to 1,806 votes); in Langda District (reduction by 4,000 votes); in Wusama District (reduction by 1,468 votes); in Tangma District (reduction by 4,000 votes); in Wusama District (reduction by 1,468 votes); in Tangma District (reduction by 2,531 votes); in Ukha District (reduction by 3,450 votes); in Dirwemna District (reduction by 2,187 votes); and in Nipsan District (reduction by 1,392 votes).

The Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Yahukimo Regency KPU Decree Number 662 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Yahukimo regent election results dated December 6, 2024 and to correct the vote acquisition in Silimo District, Amuma District, Puldama District, Suntamon District, Langda District, Wusama District, Tangma District, Ukha District, Dirwemna District, and Nipsan District.

They also requested the Court to determine the results of the Yahukimo regent election with Candidate Pair Number 1 Didimus Yahuli-Esau Miram receiving 117,950 votes and the Petitioners securing 208,260 votes.

(*) The noken voting system is carried out by communities in Papua, either through public agreement on vote allocation or through the delegation of votes to a tribal leader.

Author  : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor   : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Tiara Agustina
Translator     : Nazila Rikhusshuba/FS (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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