Highland Papua Province KPU Highlights Legal Status of Lokataru

Bawaslu’s representatives at the examination hearing for Case No. 302/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 on the gubernatorial election results dispute before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani, Thursday (1/30/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

JAKARTA (MKRI) - The Highland Papua Province Election Commission (Respondent) stated that the Citta Loka Taru Foundation or Lokataru (Petitioner) did not have legal standing in the 2024 Highland Papua governor election results dispute. This statement was conveyed in the examination hearing for Case No. 302/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025, presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at the Constitutional Court (MK), Jakarta. The hearing was held to hear testimonies from the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body), as well as validate evidence.

Also read: Lokataru Foundation Applies as a Petitioner in Highland Papua Election Case

The Respondent’s legal counsel Syamsudin Slawat stated that the election was contested by only two candidate pairs. He emphasized that under Article 4 paragraph (1) letter d of Constitutional Court Regulation No. 3 of 2024, election observers are not eligible to file as petitioners. Furthermore, Syamsudin noted that the Petitioner, as acknowledged in their own submission, had not received accreditation as an election observer from the Respondent, thereby failing to meet the necessary requirements to file the case.

Furthermore, Syamsudin refuted the Petitioner’s claim regarding the revote at 70 polling stations (TPS) in the Highland Papua regional head election, which included 40 polling stations in Yalimo Regency, 12 polling stations in Tolikara Regency, and 18 polling stations in Lanny Jaya Regency. He asserted that the Petitioner’s argument was unfounded and legally groundless, as the Respondent had conducted the revote in accordance with the recommendation of the Highland Papua Province Bawaslu.

“Neither the witnesses, candidate pairs, nor the Highland Papua Province Bawaslu raised any objections to the revote process or its results,” Syamsudin stated.

Therefore, the Respondent requested the Court to reject the Petitioner’s petition in its entirety and to affirm the validity of the Respondent's decree on the certification of the 2024 Highland Papua governor election results.

Meanwhile, Candidate Pair 01 Befa Yigibalom and Natan Pahabol (Relevant Party), through their legal counsel Endang Suhariyati, also argued that the Petitioner lacked legal standing to file the petition. They asserted that the Petitioner had not been accredited as required under Article 1, numbers (19) and (20) of KPU Regulation No. 9 of 2022.

“According to Article 4 paragraph (1) letter d of Constitutional Court Regulation 3/2024, an election observer may file a dispute in an election results case only if there is a single candidate pair. Meanwhile, the Highland Pegunungan Province election had two candidate pairs,” Endang explained.

Therefore, in the petitum, the Relevant Party requested the Court to reject the Petitioner’s petition in its entirety and to affirm the validity of the Respondent's decree on the certification of the 2024 Highland Papua governor election results.

Meanwhile, the Highland Papua Province Bawaslu, represented by Sanggup Abidin, provided information on the implementation of the revote at 70 polling stations in the province. He stated that the revote process did not result in any reports or findings of election violations, nor did it lead to any election dispute petitions.

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Highland Papua Province KPU Highlights Legal Status of Lokataru