JAKARTA (MKRI) — The General Election Commission (KPU) said that the vote stipulation for TPS 003 Boyabaliase Village, Marawola District, Sigi Regency was appropriate. This was conveyed by Aulia Nugraha Sutra Ashary as Respondent (KPU)  in a hearing led by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Anwar Usman, and Enny Nurbaningsih. As the Hearing of Case No. 166-01-01-26/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024 filed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) is related to the election of candidates for the Sigi Regency DPRD, Electoral district (Dapil) Sigi 5.

"That due to the recount at TPS 003 Boyabaliase Village, Marawola District, Sigi Regency during the Recapitulation at the sub-district level, the number of valid votes was in accordance with the attendance list of permanent voters who voted on February 14 2024, totaling 208 votes," said Aulia at the hearing in  Panel Courtroom 3 on Tuesday (14/5/2024).

The KPU explained that because there was a margin of 1 vote between valid votes and invalid votes in the Form C-Results and those read out during the Recapitulation at the District Level, there were objections from the Political Party witnesses who were present at that time, namely the Democratic Party,the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the the National Democratic Party (NasDem), and the National Mandate Party (PAN). Due to these objections, the Marawola Subdistrict Panwaslu recommended that the ballot boxes be opened to recount the ballot papers for the Regency/Municipal DPRD election for Sigi 5. After opening the boxes and recounting all valid and invalid votes, there was an improvement in the number of valid votes in Form C-Results for 4 (four) Political Parties, one of which is the Petitioner.

Regarding the PKB's argument that the Respondent's vote increase from 20 to 29 votes in Uwemanje Village, Kinovaro District, Sigi Regency TPS 5. The KPU explained that the Kinovaro District Panwaslu issued a recommendation verbally at the plenary session to make corrections of the votes invalid and agreed upon by all political party witnesses present, including witnesses from the National Awakening Party (PKB) (in this case the Petitioner), PDI–P, NasDem, the Democratic Party, the Indonesian People’s Wave Party (Gelora), and the Great Movement Party (Gerindra). After correcting/examining the number of invalid votes, a change in votes was obtained from the previous number, namely the number of invalid votes from initially 48 votes changed to 8 invalid votes.

Based on the answers that have been explained, the KPU requests the Court to accept and grant all of the Respondent's exceptions, and in the main case to reject all of the Petitioner's petition and declare the KPU Decree No. 360 of 2024 true.

In this case there is a Relevant Party, namely PDIP. In their statement, the votes obtained in the Sigi 5 were for the Regency/City DPRD election. According to the Relevant Party, the PKB vote acquisition by the Petitioner was 2,189 votes, while the vote of PDI-P was 2,190 votes. Additionally, the votes determined in the Sigi 5 for the Regency/City DPRD election were correct and determined by the Respondent.

"The Relevant Party's votes were 2,190 votes while the Petitioner's votes were 2,189 votes. The same as what was determined by the Respondent," said Michael Kantor Germansa as the Relevant Party's legal counsel.

Furthermore, the Relevant Party stated that the Petitioner's petition argued for a reduction in vote at TPS 3 of Boyabaliase Village, Marawola District, Sigi Regency, for the Regency/City DPRD election for Sigi 5, the Petitioner's vote was previously 20 votes in C-Copy Results to 19 votes in D-Form result, is not correct. The Relevant Party explained that the correction was due to an input error from C-Results to D-Results. This correction was made to the actual vote results based on evidence at TPS 3, Boya Village, Marawola District.

During the trial, Bawaslu said that during the Recapitulation of Regency Level Vote Counting Results on March 4 2024, there were several witnesses who did not sign the Recapitulation certificate of Regency DPRD. These witnesses included Witnesses from the PKB who expressed objection to the vote acquisition at TPS 03 Boya Baliase Village and TPS 05 Uwemanje Village, as well as Witnesses from the PKN, the Garuda Party, and the Ummat Party who were not present on the last day of the plenary.

"During the Recapitulation of Regency Level Vote Counting Results on March 4 2024, there was a witness who did not sign the Recapitulation certificate of Regency DPRD Vote Counting Results, namely the Witness of the PKB (objecting to the vote acquisition at TPS 03 Boya Baliase Village and TPS 05 Uwemanje Village), Witness for the PKN (not present on the last day of the plenary), Witness for the Garuda Party (not present on the last day of the plenary), and Witness for the Ummat Party (not present on the last day of the plenary)," said Nasrun representing Bawaslu.

During the recapitulation at the Subdistrict level on February 26, 2024, there were findings in the Marawola Subdistrict Panwaslu regarding margin in valid and invalid votes in C-Form Regency/City DPRD Results and the copy results. Panwaslu recommended verbally to the Marawola PPK that the box be opened to re-count the ballot papers used at TPS 03 Boyabaliase Village. The recommendations of Panwaslu were followed up by the Marawola PPK, making corrections using a correction pen by erasing and rewriting them in C. District/City DPRD Results by Boya Baliase Village PPS, and published in D. District Results District/City DPRD.

Furthermore, Bawaslu explained that during the recapitulation at the sub-district level, there was an objection from the PDI-P witness, namely Fatmah who questioned the number of invalid ballots reaching 48 votes at TPS 05 in Uwemanje Village. The Kinovaro District Panwaslu submitted verbal recommendations to the PPK to open and recount the ballot papers used in the District/City DPRD elections at TPS 05, witnessed by witnesses and the Panwaslu. Panwaslu recommendation was followed up by PPK Marawola by re-counting the ballot papers used, and the results contained changes.(*)
 

 Author     : Siti Rosmalina Nurhayati
Editor      : Nur R.
Translator : Sedanti Anjali Putri/

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.