The Relevant Party’s legal counsel Wafdah Zikra Yuniarsyah giving a statement at the examination hearing of Case 203/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 West Halmahera regent election before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2, Friday (1/24/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.
JAKARTA (MKRI) – Candidate Pair Number 3 Yames Uang and Djufri Muhamad (Relevant Party) denied the allegation of involvement of state civil apparatus (ASN) in the 2024 West Halmahera regent election. According to them, Candidate Pair Number 4 Iskandar Idrus and Lusiany Inggilina Damar (Petitioners) could not prove their arguments regarding the mobilization of ASN for the benefit of Candidate Pair Number 3.
“The Petitioners are not certain of what they are arguing and cannot file substantiated and convincing evidence of the allegations,” stated the Relevant Party’s legal counsel Denny Indrayana at the 2024 West Halmahera regent election results dispute hearing in the Constitutional Court (MK) for Case No. 203/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Friday, January 24, 2025.
The Relevant Party took reviewed the Petitioners’ evidence. However, the evidence could not be identified because it did not show information on the location and time of the incidents. Meanwhile, the appeal to hold a religious worship with regional secretary Julius Marou was, according to the Relevant Party, was not out of the ordinary, as there was no element of an attempt to influence voters to vote for a particular candidate pair.
The West Halmahera KPU (Elections Commission) as Respondent explained that the Petitioners’ claim of violations in the form of the mobilization of ASN, the use of regional revenue and expenditure budget (APBD) for the benefit of the Relevant Party, and money politics, had actually been provided with a dispute resolution forum in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws and regulations. Each institution has been given the authority by law to handle and resolve any election violations, both violations in the election process and violations of the final stage of vote acquisition results due to the certification of the recapitulation of the results of the vote count of the candidate pairs.
“Therefore, according to Respondent, the three violations a quo are not a dispute over the certification of the final stage of the election results, whose authority by the election law in conjunction with the Constitutional Court Decision No. 85/PUU-XX/2022 was given to the Constitutional Court, but to Bawaslu of West Halmahera Regency,” explained the Respondent’s legal counsel, Benyamin Riscky Ajawaila before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2.
West Halmahera Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Agency) member Helni Rosiana Amo said the report on alleged money politics violations in the 2024 West Halmahera regent election had been terminated due to insufficient evidence. “The findings were terminated because there was not enough evidence,” she saidstated.
She explained that there were findings of alleged violations of the distribution of money to influence voters during election silence in Acango Village on November 26, 2024. The West Halmahera Bawaslu then forwarded it to Gakkumdu (Integrated Law Enforcement) because there were allegations of violations of election crimes. On November 30, 2024, Gakkumdu agreed to proceed with the investigation process by the West Halmahera Resort Police. However, forensic laboratory results on the confiscated mobile phone evidence as well as witness testimony and evidence could not find any elements of alleged violations of the criminal act of money politics.
Based on these results, the Police stopped the investigation of the findings of alleged violations of election crimes due to insufficient evidence. The West Halmahera Prosecutor’s Office and the West Halmahera Regency Bawaslu also agreed that the findings of the alleged violation of the criminal act of money politics were terminated in accordance with the results of the forensic laboratory test and requested investigation termination warrant.
Also read: Civil Servants Allegedly Supported West Halmahera Incumbent
Based on the certification of the vote count results by the West Halmahera KPU, Candidate 1 Juliche Dolfina Baura-Bustami Albaar received 7,736 votes, Candidate 2 Danny Missy-Iksan Husain received 18,147 votes, Candidate 3 Yames Uang-Djufri Muhamad received 28,781 votes, and Candidate 4 Iskandar Idrus-Lusiany Inggilina Damar received 13,367 votes.
The Petitioner, Candidate Number 4 Iskandar Idrus and Lusiany Inggilina Damar, requested the Court to cancel the West Halmahera KPU Decree No. 225 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 West Halmahera regent election results dated December 6, 2024; to cancel Candidate 3 Yames Uang-Djufri Muhamad; and to order the Respondent to conduct a revote at all polling stations in West Halmahera Regency.
Read more:
Petition for Case No. 203/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025
Response by the Respondent
Statement by Bawaslu
Statement by the Relevant Party
Author : Mimi Kartika
Editor : N. Rosi
Translator : Dinita Aktivia/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)
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.
Friday, January 24, 2025 | 19:38 WIB 74