On behalf of the Bawaslu, Isman M. Natsir testifying in the examination hearing of case No. 121/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 on the Tidore Islands mayoral election results dispute, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and accompanied by Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in panel 2 courtroom, Thursday (1/30/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Tidore Islands City Election Commission (KPU) as the Respondent stated the Petitioners did not specify the time and place of the alleged vote-buying in the 2024 Tidore Islands mayor-vice mayor. The Respondent stated that the Petitioners failed to prove that vote-buying occurred in six villages in Tidore Islands City. Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra chaired the hearing for Case No. 121/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025, accompanied by Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in panel 2 courtroom on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

“The Petitioners did not specify the time when it occurred, and the Respondent also did not obtain a recommendation or decree from the North Maluku Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) or the Tidore Islands Bawaslu on the incident in question,” said Mhd Zakiul Fikri as the Respondent’s legal counsel in the Tidore Islands mayoral election results dispute.

Zakiul also stated that each candidate pair witness, including the Petitioner’s appointed witness, signed the vote count results at the polling stations disputed by the Petitioners. Thus, the Respondent deemed the Petitioners had already accepted the results, rather than objected to them by stating it harmed the Petitioners. However, out of 223 polling stations, the Petitioners’ witness did not sign in two polling stations, and these polling stations were not disputed by the Petitioners.

Meanwhile, the Tidore Islands mayor-vice mayor candidate pair 1 Muhammad Sinen and Ahmad Laiman (Related Party) further argued that the Petitioners failed to specify who promised and received the alleged vote-buying money, along with details of when, where, and how it occurred. They asserted that the Petitioners must clearly describe and prove their arguments in the petition.

“The Petitioners’ arguments were baseless as they did not describe when, where, and to whom the money was given or promised by the Relevant Party,” stated Iskandar Yoisangdji, the Related Party’s legal counsel.

On the other hand, Tidore Islands City Bawaslu member Isman M Natsir stated that they received 13 reports and 1 finding of alleged violation during the Tidore Islands mayoral election. From these 13 reports, all were registered, including eight reports related to alleged violations of neutrality of the state civil apparatus, which were reported to the National Civil Service Agency (BKN). Isman also stated that five of the reports have been investigated.

“Four of these reports are included in the Petitioners’ petition,” added Isman.

Also read: Vote Buying and ASN Mobilisation are the arguments in the Tidore Islands Mayoral Election Dispute

Candidate pair 2 (Syamsul Rizal Hasdy and Adam Do Djafar), as the Petitioners, argued that candidate pair 1 committed violations of vote buying, misused regional budgets, and mobilized the state civil apparatus in the mayoral election. The Tidore Islands City KPU decree No. 960 of 2024 certified candidate pair 1 with 47,994 votes and candidate pair 2 with 20,025 votes. In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the said KPU decree insofar as the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair Number 1 (Muhammad Sinen-Ahmad Lainan) and order the KPU of Tidore Islands City to declare candidate pair 2 (Syamsul Rizal Hasdy-Adam Do Djafar) as the elected candidate pair.

Author       : Mimi Kartika

Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR             : Fauzan Febriyan
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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