North Kolaka KPU Refutes Voter List Manipulation Accusations

The Relevant Party legal counsel, Denny Indrayana testifying in the examination hearing of the Respondent’s response and testimonies by the Relevant Party and Bawaslu in Case No. 153/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 of North Kolaka regent election results dispute. Photo by MKRI/Ifa

JAKARTA (MKRI) — North Kolaka Regency Election Commissions (KPU) refuted the accusation of voter data manipulation, as argued by the Petitioners in Case No. 153/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on North Kolaka regent election results dispute. The Respondent delivered the statement in the examination hearing on Friday, January 24, 2025. This hearing included the Respondent’s response, testimonies by the Relevant Party and Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), and parties’ evidence validation.

Chief Justice Suhartoyo presided over the hearing, accompanied by Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah in panel 1 courtroom. The candidate pair 2 Sumarling and Timber served as the Petitioner, while candidate pair 3 Nur Rahman Umar and Jumarding acted as the Relevant Party.

North Kolaka Regency KPU addressed the Petitioners’ argument that the manipulation was based on their interpretation of 8 individuals in the special voters list (DPK) and 2 individuals in the additional final voters list (DPTb). According to the Respondent, all DPK and DPTb were able to vote in the regent election.

As such, the Respondent considered the Petitioners’ arguments groundless. “The Petitioners’ argument on the manipulation of additional voter data was based on assumptions which were legally baseless. Therefore, the Court should reject the a quo petition,” stated Saleh, the Respondent’s legal counsel.

The Respondent also refuted the allegations of ineligible voter data verification at polling station (TPS) 001 in Ulu Wawo Village. They clarified that the alleged voter had voted using another person’s name due to a name-writing error.

“It was a voter named Supriadi, but [he] used a ballot for Supriyadi,” explained Saleh.

The Petitioners argued that this incident led to the issuance of North Kolaka Regency Bawaslu recommendation on December 4, 2024. The Respondent was accused of not implementing this recommendation, which they explained was not included in the subsequent level, thus they decided not to implement it.

“In district elections supervisory, [we did] not find recommendations for Supriadi and Supriyadi. Therefore, we did not follow up [on the recommendation],” he stated.

The Relevant Party also highlighted the name differences in the hearing. Echoing the Respondent, they considered this error did not require a revote and even mentioned that the Petitioners received additional votes.

“[They] voted for the Petitioners at TPS 001 in Ulu Wawo Village, according to a voice record of the district election supervisory committee with the said person who voted for the Petitioners,” stated the Respondent legal counsel, Denny Indrayana.

In addition to the voters list, the Relevant Party addressed the Petitioners’ petition on the structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations, including allegations that village heads sided with the Relevant Party through a meeting. The Relevant Party clarified that the meeting with village heads was part of an outreach event.

“The meeting actually was actually part of the legal outreach in the Islamic Centre, which we conducted in the hall of North Kolaka District,” stated Denny.

The Relevant Party explained that the meeting with the North Kolaka Education and Cultural Office Head was not an endorsement for them in the regent election, but rather a religious discussion event that took place before the announcement of regent-vice regent candidate pairs.

“The event was on September 6, while the candidate pair announcement was on September 22, [therefore it was] not during the campaign. Nur Rahman Ummar was present as the North Kolaka Regency Muhammadiyah Regional Head,” added Denny.

Meanwhile, the North Kolaka Regency Bawaslu stated that they issued several recommendations during the regent election stages, with six sent to the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) and four given to the North Kolaka acting regent.

All recommendations to BKN were related to the neutrality of the civil state apparatus, which was not investigated, while one out of four recommendations to North Kolaka acting regent was followed up.

North Kolaka Regency Bawaslu also reported two findings on the neutrality of civil apparatus to integrated law enforcement, which were initially investigated but later dismissed.

“Dismissed by law as [the findings] were expired,” stated Hatisnah, a member of North Kolaka Regency Bawaslu.

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North Kolaka KPU Refutes Voter List Manipulation Accusations