The Relevant Party’s legal counsel M. Imam Nasef testifying at the examination hearing for case No. 283/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Puncak regent election results dispute, Thursday (1/30/2025) in panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.
JAKARTA (MKRI) — At the examination hearing of the Puncak regent election results dispute, on behalf of the Puncak Regency Elections Commission or KPU (Respondent), Ginetoy M. Yacub Ariwei addressed the Petitioners’ arguments on vote counting and election results certification. The Respondent explained that Puncak Regency had used noken* system, a custom in the area, and its use is regulated in the KPU Decree No. 1774 of 2024, corresponding to the values of custom, tradition, culture, and local wisdom of the local community.
“The election in the Puncak Regency used the noken system throughout the regency,” said Ariwei at the hearing for Case No. 283/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The Respondent emphasized that the Petitioners’ allegations were false and legally groundless. In their written statement, the Respondent said that the Puncak Regency KPU decree No. 85 of 2024 on the certification of the Puncak regent-vice regent election results was based on the applicable procedures, and as such, legally valid. All stages of recapitulation and certification were also carried out by various parties, including the Puncak Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body), police chief, military district command, the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) chairperson, and the candidate pairs.
The Respondent also denied the alleged manipulation of the D-result forms in Erelmakawia and Ilaga Districts, stating they were false and legally groundless. The Respondent also stated the recapitulation plenary meeting was held on December 5 and 6, 2024 in Ilaga, but was postponed due to the absence of several district election committees (PPDs) and unfavorable security conditions.
“Based on Puncak Regency Bawaslu’s recommendation, the final results were recapitulated in Nabire on December 12, 2024, with strict security, thus the certification of the results of regent-vice regent election results remained valid and effective,” said Ariwei.
The Respondent also stated that the Petitioners’ version of vote results did not match the official data and were allegedly manipulated. As such, the Respondent filed a report with the authorities.
Through their legal counsel M. Imam Nasef, candidate pair 1 Elvis Tabuni and Naftali Akawal (Relevant Party) stated that based on KPU Regulation No. 17 of 2024, the noken system is used in the election at polling stations.
“As such, the agreement or the acclamation reached at the polling stations during the voting should not be withdrawn and/or changed during the recapitulation, both at the district and regency levels,” Imam explained.
Imam emphasized that the implementation of voting with the noken system for regent elections at all polling stations in Puncak Regency had been carried out based on the laws and regulations. He also stated that the witnesses had not filed objections and no special events had occurred.
The Respondent emphasized that the Petitioners’ argument of manipulation or errors in the input vote results for candidate pairs in the D-result-KWK-regency forms was false and baseless. “In fact, based on D-result-KWK-district form in Erelmakawia District, the vote acquisition of each candidate pair matched the D-result-KWK-regency forms. Regarding the discrepancy in D-result-KWK forms at PT 5 the Petitioners used as evidence, it was revealed that the Petitioners had obtained the forms from the KPU’s vote recapitulation information system (Sirekap). The PPD signature [on the Petitioners’ data] did not match ours. We indeed obtain the district plenary results, and no other documents on the vote recapitulation results,” he explained.
Imam rejected the Petitioners’ argument that the vote acquisition in the D-result-KWK-regent form was manipulated and contained errors, labeling it as false and baseless. He pointed out that the D-result-KWK form in Ilaga District matched the D-result-KWK-regent form.
He also explained that several PPD individuals had allegedly conspired with the Petitioners’ campaign team to harm the voting transparency using the noken system in Puncak Regency. Their actions could harm the peace in Puncak Regency and lead to horizontal conflict, despite the election being conducted smoothly and safely. “As such, we requested all parties to respect the voting results,” he emphasized.
Puncak Regency Bawaslu member Fredi Wadikbo testified that Bawaslu had carried out preventive measures by submitting an advisory letter to the Puncak Regency KPU, urging them to carry out the stages of voting, ballot counting, and recapitulation of election results following the procedures and laws and regulations.
According to the supervisory results of the Puncak Regency Bawaslu dated December 6, 2024, the Puncak Regency Bawaslu had carried out supervision of the vote count recapitulation at the regency level with the vote acquisition of each candidate pair based on D-result form as follows: Elvis Tabuni and Naftali Akwal with 61,310 votes, Alus Uk Murib and Menas Mayau with 28,668 votes, Pelinus Balinal and Benner Kulua with 18,107 votes, Peniel Waker and Saulinus Murib with 59,291 votes, with a total of 167,376 valid votes.
Wadikbo added that on December 5-6, 2024, the recapitulation on regency level was carried out in Illaga. “On December 7, the plan was to conduct a plenary meeting on recapitulation and certification in Ilaga but it was suspended. There was no certification plenary meeting at that time, but only recapitulation at the district level. The certification was instead conducted in Nabire on December 12, at 18:56,” he explained.
Read also: Alleging Vote Count Error, Waker-Murib Petition Puncak Regent Election Results
Candidate pair 4 Peniel Waker and Saulinus Murib (Petitioners) disputed the certification of the Puncak Regency KPU Decree No. 85 of 2024 on the regency’s election results. They alleged that the Puncak Regency KPU had made an error in the vote counting.
At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners’ legal counsel Slamet stated that the Respondent had made an error in the certification of the vote acquisition results. Based on the decree, candidate pair 1 received 61,320 votes, while the Petitioners received 59,291 votes, with a difference of 2,019 votes.
In their petitums, the Petitioners argued that the vote count results by the Respondent did not match the data on the district D-result forms, which show that the vote count for candidate pair number 1 should have been 56,851 votes, while the Petitioners should have obtained 63,634 votes. This error caused the Petitioners’ votes to decrease by 4,343 votes, while votes for candidate pair number 1 increased by 4,459 votes.
The Petitioners accused the Respondent of having manipulated or at least erred in recording the results of the count at the district level. This occurred because the Respondent did not base the determination of results on the recapitulation contained on D-result forms of Erelmakawia District and Ilaga District.
The Petitioners requested the Court to grant the petition in its entirety and to annul the Puncak Regency KPU Decree Number 85 of 2024 on the certification of 2024 of the Puncak Jaya regent election results issued on Thursday, December 12, 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/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.
Thursday, January 30, 2025 | 12:48 WIB 297