The Respondent’s legal counsel H. Maturbongs at the examination hearing for the 2024 Merauke regent election case No. 238/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 to hear the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu, Friday (1/31/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — As the Respondent, the Merauke Regency Elections Commission (KPU) delivered its response to the petition filed by Hendrikus Mahuze-Riduwan (Petitioners) on the regent election results dispute for Case No. 238/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. Firstly, they refuted the allegation of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations through the mobilization of state civil apparatus (ASN) in campaigning for Candidate Pair 4 Yoseph B Gebze-Fauzan Nihayah (Relevant Party).

On behalf of the Respondent, legal counsel H. Maturbongs spoke at the examination hearing to hear the Respondent’s response and the statements by the Relevant Party and the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and to validate evidence of the parties. The hearing was presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih on panel 3 on Friday, January 31, 2025.

Firstly, Maturbongs argued that the issue of ASN mobilization is under the authority of the Merauke Bawaslu, from whom the Respondent did not receive any recommendations.

Secondly, the Respondent did not comment on the allegation of Bawaslu not fulfilling their duties professionally and independently. Similarly, they stated having not received any recommendations.

Thirdly and fourthly, the KPU also disputed the allegation of vote buying and double voting, to which they argued that the Petitioners did not specify the polling stations or villages of the incidents.

“On vote buying, we, the Respondent, has never received reports from the Bawaslu,” Maturbongs asserted.

Responding to the Petitioners’ fifth allegation pertaining to voter ID fraud in which ID cards were misappropriated, the Respondent argued that the Petitioners couldn’t have known for sure whether the votes went to the Relevant Party.

In their sixth argument, the Petitioners had alleged the Respondent’s negligence in enforcing their authority and enabled Priscilla Tania Kalinka Wijaya to abuse around 1,500 voting invitations belonging to other people to support the Relevant Party.

“It is truly false, since the Respondent did not receive any reports from the people, the Petitioners, or their teams, either oral reports or reports in writing related to the incidents alleged,” Maturbongs argued.

The seventh argument alleged the Merauke KPU had been negligent when the Relevant Party distributed water pumps during election silence. Likewise, the Respondent stated that the allegation falls under the authority of the Bawaslu, instead of the Respondent.

Lastly, the Respondent denied ignoring the Bawaslu’s recommendation for revote at TPS (polling stations) 1 and 2 of Bamol Village, Padua District. Maturbongs explained that the Merauke KPU and Bawaslu had hold a plenary meeting to discuss the recommendation.

The Respondent then followed up the recommendation by conducting reviews on and seeking clarifications from the parties mentioned in the Padua District Election Committee Clarification Minute No. 002/PL.02.6-BA/930121/2024. Upon clarification, it was found no incident forms had been filed in TPS 1 and 2 of Bamol Village, Padua District.

“The KPU chairperson and members decreed to not conduct a revote in TPS 1 and 2 of Bamol Village, Padua District upon examining the Padua District election committee clarification minutes,” Maturbongs stated.

The Relevant Party through their legal counsel Betsy Rachel Imkotta denied the allegation of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations and stated that it contradicts facts and actual data.

Imkotta explained that the Relevant Party had been invited to an event which was opened by John Mehuzet Kayame. While the Petitioners alleged ASN mobilization, the Relevant Party argued that Kayame was present as the great elder of Mee tribe without sporting an ASN uniform.

“Thus, John Mehuzet Kayame attended as the great elder of Mee tribe to certify the Mee tribe community political statement,” Imkotta argued.

Meanwhile, Merauke Bawaslu chairperson Agustinus Mahuze stated that the institution had received a supervisory report on ASN mobilization on October 15, 2024. Bawaslu used the report as a preliminary finding and sought clarification. “The finding constituted a violation of other laws and regulations. The Merauke Bawaslu issued a recommendation to the National Civil Service Agency,” Mahuze reported.

Also read: Hendrikus-Riduwan Allege TSM Violations in Merauke Regent Election

At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Merauke Regency KPU Decree No. 2255 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Merauke regent election results dated December 6, 2024, and to annul the decree regarding the vote acquisition in Merauke, Semangga, Tanah Miring, Kurik, Malind, Jagebob, Muting, Ulilin, and Elikobel Districts.

They also asked the Court to determine the correct vote acquisition according to the Petitioners as follows: Candidate Pair 1 Martinus Guntur Ohoiwutun-Prayogo with 8,440 votes, Candidate Pair 2 Kristian Tarigan Gepze-Kusmanto with 24,246 votes, the Petitioners with 36,768 votes, and Candidate Pair 4, Yoseph B Gebze-Fauzan Nihayah with 0 vote; or to order the Merauke Regency KPU to cancel and/or disqualify the Relevant Party.

Author            : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor             : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                 : Tiara Agustina
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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