Novan, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court has told the General Elections Commission (KPU) to hold a revote in Papua after disqualifying deputy governor candidate Yermias Bisai.
Presiding Judge Suhartoyo confirmed this while reading the ruling on a regional election dispute case filed by rival candidate-pair Mathius Fakhiri and Aryoko Alberto Ferdinand Rumaropen.
"The court partially grants the plaintiff's request," Suhartoyo, who is also the Constitutional Court chief justice, said in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
"The revote must be completed within 180 days from the date this ruling is pronounced and the results of the revote be determined and announced without the need to report to the court," Suhartoyo said in the ruling.
In the legal considerations of the ruling, a member of the panel of judges Arsul Sani said the court disqualified Yermias after finding that he was not truthful in fulfilling the required candidacy documents.
The Constitutional Court said the required candidacy documents must be issued by an authorized institution. The required documents include certificates stating that a candidate had never been convicted of a crime or had their voting rights revoked.
Such documents must be issued by a district court with jurisdiction over the candidate's residence. The district court should refer to the candidate's official residence as listed in a civil document issued by an authorized government agency, such as an ID card, family card or certificate of residence.
Arsul said that Yermias' address on the required documents issued by the Jayapura District Court was not the defendant's actual residence. Based on his e-KTP, Yermias' residence is in Waropen regency, rather than Jayapura city, kompas.com reported.
Therefore, all the required documents should have been issued by a district court overseeing Waropen regency.
The re-vote will be contested by the candidate pair Mathius and Aryoko against a new candidate pair nominated by the political party or coalition that previously supported Yermias.
"The respondent Papua [KPU] is ordered to conduct a revote for the 2024 Papua gubernatorial election using the same final voter list [DPT], transfer voter list and additional voter list used during the election on Nov. 27, 2024," Suhartoyo said, as quoted by kompas.com.