The Respondent’s legal counsel Ahmad Tawakkal (right) testifying in the examination hearing of Case No. 303/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Tolikara regent election results dispute, Friday (1/24/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Tolikara Regent Election Commission (KPU), as the Respondent, refuted the argument of candidate pair 3, Dinus Wanimbo and Gamael Eldorando Enumbi (the Petitioners), stating that the recapitulation process was not conducted in six districts. The Respondent characterized the argument as false, groundless, and unreasonable. The Respondent’s legal counsel, Ahmad Tawakkal delivered the statement in the examination hearing of Case No. 303/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Friday, January 24, 2025, in panel 3 courtroom. 

Ahmad explained that the Respondent began the leveled recapitulation process on November 30, 2024, until December 6, 2024, in Karubaga District, initially covering 12 districts. Due to several objections, the Respondent requested an extension from December 7-10, 2024, during which they completed the recapitulation in 24 districts. With a further extension until December 14, 2024, they recapitulated 22 more districts, and by December 15, 2024, the total reached 33 districts.

However, Ahmad continued, due to security concerns, the recapitulation was relocated to Wamena. After that relocation, the Respondent completed the recapitulation in 40 districts, leaving 6 districts as the Petitioners’ objection. The Respondent stated that the time limit for recapitulation was set for December 15-16, 2024, during which all candidate pairs conducted their own vote recapitulations.

“We will show, Your Honors, the comparison and estimate if the Respondent decided to follow the request of each candidate pair,” added Ahmad.

Ahmad added that the votes from all districts had been recapitulated, with six districts’ votes declared invalid. “In data comparison, using reasonable logic, the votes should be: candidate pair 1 with 37,233 votes, candidate pair 2 with 12,349 votes, candidate pair 3 with 23,252 votes, and candidate pair 4 (the Relevant Party) with 15,964 votes. After comparison, candidate pair 1 obtained 41,432 votes, totaling 78,665 votes with their version. Candidate pair 2 received 42,191 votes, totaling 54,540 votes with their version. Candidate pair 3 gained 45,136 votes, totaling 68,388 with their version, and candidate pair 4 received 61,925, totaling 77.889 with their version. The results exceeded the total final voters list (DPT) in Tolikara, explained Ahmad.

Noken* Agreement

In the hearing, on behalf of Tolikara regent-vice regent candidate pair 1 Irinus Wanimbo and Arson R. Kogoya (the Relevant Party), Irwan Gustaf denied the Petitioners’ argument in the revised petition. He stated that the recapitulation of election results set by KPU Regulation No. 2 of 2024 was delayed as each candidate pair argued their own version of vote results. Consequently, the plenary meeting in the six districts could not follow the schedule, leading the Respondent to provide an extension until December 16, 2024.

Despite the extension, the six districts failed to recapitulate the vote results in the KPU’s vote recapitulation information system (Sirekap) system, causing the invalidity of votes. Despite losing 15,643 votes from these districts, the Relevant Party stated that it did not affect the recapitulation result in the other 40 districts, which was valid and recorded in the system.

In addition, in the revised petition, the Petitioners alleged the administrative structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations, causing the loss of 37,233 votes. However, the Relevant Party denied the allegation, stating it had already passed the time limit set under Bawaslu regulation.

“We have evidence in the form of chronological events of PT 23-28 logistics security. We also have an agreement on the noken system from tribal leaders [which] we later submitted,” Irwan explained.

Meanwhile, on behalf of Tolikara Regency Bawaslu, Busiri Payokwa explained that according to their supervisory result report dated December 16, 2024, Tolikara Regency had 677 polling stations across 46 districts with 232,736 DPT. Tolikara Regency KPU was only able to recapitulate valid votes in 40 districts. The votes in the other 6 districts, including in Wugi, Aweku, Kembu, Nunggawi, Air Garam, and Yuneri  were declared invalid as they expired.

Notably, Tolikara Regency KPU certified the vote results of each candidate pair under decree No. 349 of 2024 dated December 16, 2024, concerning the certification of the 2024 Tolikara regent-vice regent candidate.

Also read: Dinus-Gamael Suspect Vote Transfer in Tolikara Regent Election

Candidate Pair 1 Irinus Wanimbo dan Arson R. Kogoya (Relevant Party) of shifting votes from their three rival pairs. These arguments were delivered by candidate pair 3 Dinus Wanimbo and Gamael Eldorando Enumbi in their petition.

In addition, the Petitioners alleged the Tolikara KPU as Respondent had not carried out recapitulation for the Petitioners in six districts of Tolikara.

Hence, in their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to grant their petition in its entirety or to annul the Tolikara KPU Decree No. 349 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Tolikara regent election results dated 16 December 2024. (*)

*) 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           : Utami Argawati

Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                : Tiara Agustina

Translator  : Ryan Alfian/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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