KPU Prepares for Re-voting and Recapitulation of Votes in 25 Regions

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The General Elections Commission, or KPU, will implement the Constitutional Court's ruling regarding several disputes over the 2024 Regional Head Elections, which were read out in a marathon session on Monday (24/2/2025). The KPU is currently preparing for re-voting in 25 regions in accordance with the Constitutional Court's decision.

Based on Kompas records, re-voting (PSU) is almost always held in every regional election (Pilkada) with a fluctuating number of regions. In 2015, PSU was conducted in four out of 271 electoral regions. In 2017, PSU was held in six out of 101 elections; in 2018, five out of 171 regions had to conduct PSU; and in 2020, it was held in 16 out of 270 Pilkada regions.

In the 2024 Regional Head Elections, there will be repeat voting and recounts in 25 regions. This is based on the decision announced by the Constitutional Court (MK) yesterday, Monday. Additionally, there is one region, namely Puncak Jaya Regency, which must conduct a recount in 22 out of 26 electoral districts.

The Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Mochammad Afifuddin, stated that his party is currently studying the Constitutional Court's (MK) decision comprehensively for each petition and has discussed technical steps to follow up on it.

"We are studying the Constitutional Court's decision thoroughly for each application at the Constitutional Court and we discussed it last night to immediately follow up technically," he said in Jakarta, Tuesday (25/2/2025).

Afifuddin said that his party is also coordinating with related parties to ensure the availability of budget to implement PSU; prepare the timeline for the election stages, ad hoc bodies, and logistics; and ensure that the Cek DPT Online portal can be used so that all stages can be carried out properly.

According to KPU Member August Mellaz, the KPU is reviewing, both from the legal and technical side related to the implementation of PSU, as well as its budget consequences. "Coordination and supervision are also being carried out to the ranks in the provinces and districts/cities in order to follow up on the Constitutional Court Decision," he said.

We are currently studying the Constitutional Court's decision in its entirety for each application at the Constitutional Court and we discussed it last night to immediately follow up technically.

He said that after the policy and technical implementation studies were completed, further coordination would also be carried out with the Ministry of Home Affairs, especially regarding the availability of the PSU budget.

Article 166 paragraph (1) of the Regional Election Law Number 8/2015 stipulates that funding for election activities is charged to the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) and can be supported by the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) in accordance with the provisions of statutory regulations.

These provisions can be the basis for the central government to take responsibility for ensuring the availability of the budget for the implementation of the PSU in accordance with the Constitutional Court Decision.

Based on the Constitutional Court's decision, there are 14 regions that will implement PSU in all Polling Stations (TPS). These regions are Banjarbaru City, Pasaman Regency, Tasikmalaya Regency, Empat Lawang Regency, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, North Gorontalo Regency, Parigi Moutong Regency, Serang Regency, and South Bengkulu Regency, implementing PSU with the final deadline for PSU implementation on April 25, 2025.

Mahakam Ulu Regency, Pesawaran Regency, and Palopo City will also implement PSU at all TPS with a deadline of May 25, 2025. The deadline for implementing PSU at all TPS in Boven Digoel Regency and Papua Province is August 23, 2025.

In addition, PSU will also be carried out at several polling stations in certain areas, including North Barito Regency (2 polling stations), West Bangka Regency (4 polling stations), Siak Regency (2 polling stations and a special polling station at Tengku Rafian Hospital), Magetan Regency (4 polling stations) with the final deadline for the implementation of PSU on March 26, 2025.

Sabang City (1 TPS), Talaud Islands Regency (all TPS in Essang District), Banggai Regency (all TPS in Toili and Simpang Raya Districts), Bungo Regency (21 TPS), Taliabu Islands Regency (9 TPS), and Buru Regency (2 TPS) will implement PSU with a deadline of April 10, 2025.

In the verdict reading on Monday (24/2/2025), the Constitutional Court also read out the verdict rejecting the election result dispute petition in a number of regions. The petitions that were rejected were West Pasaman Regency, Puncak Regency, Jeneponto Regency, Mimika Regency, and North Halmahera Regency.

Applications in Papua Pegunungan Province, Mandailing Natal Regency, Berau Regency, Bangka Belitung Province, and East Aceh Regency were also rejected. Likewise, applications were rejected in Lamandau Regency, Central Buton Regency, Belu Regency, and Pamekasan Regency.

Meanwhile, Puncak Jaya Regency will conduct a recapitulation in 22 of the 26 districts, which will be implemented at the KPU RI on March 26, 2025. In addition, Jayapura Regency received a decision to revise the Decree (SK). With the schedule that has been set, the KPU is now focusing on technical preparations to ensure that all stages of the PSU can run smoothly and according to procedure.

PSU must be held after the Constitutional Court found a number of problems in these areas. Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra Province, for example, must hold a PSU after the Constitutional Court disqualified the elected Pasaman Deputy Regent candidate, Anggit Kurniawan Nasution. According to the Constitutional Court's ruling, Anggit was proven to be dishonest about his status as a former convict in a fraud case.

In addition, the Constitutional Court annulled the victory of the Serang regent and vice regent candidate pair, Ratu Rachmatuzakiyah and Muhammad Najib Hamas, and ordered a revote in the area. The candidate pair number 2 was disqualified because it was proven that there was an attempt by the village government to influence their victory. The involvement of village officials is related to the active involvement of the Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto, Ratu Rachmatuzakiyah's husband.

Coordinator of the ICW Political Corruption Division, Egi Primayogha, said that the large number of regional head candidates disqualified by the Constitutional Court showed that the 2024 Pilkada was marred by a pile of problems, one of which was problematic candidates.

"Here we can see that the openness of the candidate's track record is important. Election fraud and practices without integrity are unfortunately also not handled well. If law enforcement is good, candidate disqualification can be prevented from the start," he said when contacted separately.

According to Egi, the worrying thing is that there are candidates who have been inaugurated, but actually committed similar violations to those who were disqualified. "Their practice of ignoring integrity values during the election can continue when they are in office. The consequence is that corruption can become more rampant," he said.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Indonesia, Titi Anggraini, said that compared to the 2015-2020 period, the implementation of the PSU in the 2024 Pilkada had more diverse causes.

"In the previous period, PSU was generally caused by violations of procedures in updating voter data and violations during voting and vote counting. In addition, PSU was also carried out due to the failure to fulfill candidate requirements," he said.

However, in the 2024 Pilkada, the PSU decided by the Constitutional Court was contributed by several major problems, including violations of candidate requirements, such as not announcing status as a former convict, still having the status of a convict, the incumbent candidate's term of office having been two terms, or the use of invalid diplomas. There was also a PSU caused by problems with procedural violations in the use of voting rights at polling stations (TPS).

In addition, the Constitutional Court also found fraud of a TSM nature. This fraud was mainly related to the incumbent's lack of neutrality, state officials, regional officials, village heads, and widespread vote buying practices.

Titi also highlighted the case of a single-candidate regional election held without the option of an empty box on the ballot as one of the causes of the PSU. Several regions that experienced PSU due to these violations and fraud include Mahakam Ulu Regency, Banggai Regency, and Serang Regency.

Titi said, with this decision, it is hoped that the implementation of the PSU can run more transparently and fairly, and provide an opportunity for the public to exercise their voting rights without any political pressure or manipulation.