JAKARTA, LEGAL LITERACY – The General Election Commission (KPU) stated that there were no miscalculations of votes that reduced the votes of the Nanggroe Aceh Party or increased the votes of the United Development Party (PPP) in the election of candidates for members of the DPRK Aceh Timur in the Aceh Timur Electoral District 4. According to the KPU, the argument put forward by the Nanggroe Aceh Party as the Applicant was only based on assumptions and allegations without concrete evidence. This was conveyed by the KPU as the Respondent in the 2024 General Election Results Dispute (PHPU) trial at the Constitutional Court (MK).

“That based on the data presented in the table above, the errors as argued by the Applicant in the subject matter of its application, there was not a single miscalculation of votes that reduced the Applicant's votes or increased PPP's votes. This is merely the Applicant's assumption and allegation without proof,” said Ridhotul Hairi, the Respondent's Legal Counsel at the trial held in Panel 3 Hearing Room on Wednesday (08/05/2024) led by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat accompanied by Constitutional Justice Anwar Usman and Constitutional Justice Enny Nurbaningsih.

Regarding the answer that has been explained, the Respondent requests the Court to accept and grant all of the Respondent's exceptions in the exception, and in the subject matter of the case, to reject all of the Applicant's requests and to declare correct the Decree of the General Election Commission Number 360 of 2024.

In the trial of case number 105-01-18-01/PHPU.DPR-DPRD-XXII/2024, Bawaslu provided information that there were no objections from all parties during the recapitulation of the vote results. However, Bawaslu revealed that after the recapitulation, issues were found regarding vote inflation.

In addition to the KPU and Bawaslu, the United Development Party (PPP) as the Related Party, stated in its statement that the Court does not have the authority to hear this case because the Applicant's application is not related to a dispute over the acquisition of general election vote results. Furthermore, the Related Party pointed out that the Applicant did not raise any objections during the calculation of vote acquisition or rebuttals to the results submitted. With no objection from the Applicant, it must be assumed that the Applicant has approved the results of the vote acquisition calculation set by the Respondent.

“The Court does not have the authority because the application is not related to the results of vote acquisition. The Applicant did not raise any objections during the calculation of vote acquisition,” said Zulfikar Sawang, legal counsel for the Related Party.

Previously, in the preliminary hearing, the Applicant claimed that there were differences in the number of votes between them and the United Development Party (PPP) according to the Applicant's and Respondent's versions. According to the Applicant, they should have received 582 votes, while PPP should have received 735 votes. However, based on the Respondent's decision, the Applicant only received 538 votes and PPP received 912 votes.

Based on the arguments presented, the Applicant requests the Court to grant all of the applicant's requests, annul the Decree of the General Election Commission Number 360 of 2024, and order the General Election Commission to conduct a recount of ballots in Pante Bidari District, Madat District, and Simpang Ulim District in the Aceh Timur Electoral District 4, or determine the results of vote acquisition deemed correct by the Applicant.