Iskandar from Bawaslu at the examination hearing for the 2024 Teluk Wondama regent election case No. 217/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 to hear the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu, Thursday (1/30/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Relevant Party of the Teluk Wondama regent election results dispute case No. 127/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025 made a counter-accusation of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations at an examination hearing presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1 on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

The Petitioners in this case are Candidate Pair 2 Hendrik S. Mambor and Andarias Kayukatui. The Teluk Wondama Elections Commission (KPU) is the Respondent, while Candidate Pair 1 Elysa Auri and Anthonius A. Marani are the Relevant Party.

Firstly, the Teluk Wondama KPU as the Respondent delivered their response to the arguments in the petition. As the 2024 election organizer, the Respondent clarified the discrepancy between the number of voters who cast votes and valid/invalid votes at one of the polling stations.

Such discrepancy, the Respondent explained, had occurred because of an input error in one of the C-result forms made by the polling station working committee (KPPS). However, the Respondent ensured that they had rectified the error at the district-level recapitulation plenary meeting.

“The corrected results were listed in the district D-result KWK form. Regarding the corrected results, there were no objections raised by the Petitioners’ witness, nor were there any recommendations from the Wasior District Bawaslu,” argued Ali Nurdin, the Respondent’s legal counsel.

In addition to the voting process, the Respondent also cleared up the allegation of TSM violations, including the involvement of village heads and state civil apparatus (ASN). On that note, they admitted that they had received recommendations from Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body).

The Respondent further insisted that the petition’s arguments did not correlate with the election results.

“The allegations of such violations would not affect the vote acquisition of the Teluk Wondama regent election results significantly,” Ali argued.

The involvement of the regency’s acting secretary was also refuted by the Respondent. According to the Respondent, the Petitioners’ allegation had been responded by Statement Letter No. 588/PY.01.5/9207/1/2024 dated November 8, 2024.

The Respondent affirmed that the entirety of the election had been decided in the decree of the chairperson of the Teluk Wondama KPU following the principles of collectivity and collegiality. “[The decision] was without outside intervention or interference from the acting [secretary] of the Respondent,” Ali said.

The Relevant Party weighed in on the alleged TSM violations at the hearing. They questioned the relevancy of the alleged TSM violations. On the contrary, the Relevant Party alleged that TSM violations had been committed by the Petitioners as an incumbent.

“In fact, the Petitioners should be suspected of committing structured, systematic, and massive violations. Especially, if those were to be associated with the Petitioners being an incumbent who still holds office,” said Deni Danurwenda, the Relevant Party legal counsel.

The Relevant Party highlighted the position of the wife of one of the Petitioners in the Teluk Wondama Regency Legislative Council (DPRD). “The wife of the Petitioner, Regent Candidate 2, serves as the secretary of the DPRD or the council secretary to the Teluk Wondama Regency,” said Deni.

The Teluk Wondama Bawaslu also confirmed the absence of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations reported throughout the 2024 regent election. Yet, Bawaslu issued a general recommendation relating to ASN’s neutrality. The recommendation has been forwarded to the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) and was still in progress. The recommendation was in response to a violation of hand gestures alleged to show support for one of the candidate pairs.

“[The report] has been clarified by the ASN in question and they had indeed acknowledged [to committing said violation],” said Epianus Rawar, the Teluk Wondama Bawaslu chairperson.

Additionally, Bawaslu received ten reports during the 2024 regent election, three of which were registered.

Out of the three, two were being processed and one had been ruled by the Manokwari District Court.

“The one [report] was related to a village head named Obama, who was sentenced to two months and a fine of Rp 6 million with the Manokwari District Court’s verdict,” Rawar explained.

Also read: Alleged Hamlet Heads’ Endorsement in Teluk Wondama Regent Election

At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners alleged that village heads had openly endorsed the Relevant Party. In some districts, village heads were alleged to have engaged in vote buying to support the Relevant Party.

The Petitioners also argued that civil apparatus (ASN) had been involved as witnesses for the Relevant Party. They also argued the acting secretary of the Teluk Wondama KPU allegedly has a family relation with the Relevant Party.

Moreover, the Petitioners argued the Respondent had committed procedural violations at polling stations leading to discrepancies between the number of voters who cast votes and valid/invalid votes at TPS 1 of Wasior.

Also read:

Petition for Case No. 127/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025

Response by the Respondent

Statement by Bawaslu

Statement by the Relevant Party

 

Author              : Ashri Fadilla
Editor                : N. Rosi
Translator         : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL) (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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