JAKARTA - The General Election Commission (KPU) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) have officially postponed the holding of regional head elections in Boven Digoel Regency, Papua.
Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian said that the postponement of voting in Boven Digoel was due to the ongoing legal process regarding the cancellation of a candidate for Regent of Boven Digoel.
"The KPU conducts deliberations and discussions by all stakeholders and in principle will carry out a lawsuit. So, this lawsuit is automatically respected and then what the decision will be, then the elections will be held," said Tito at the Ministry of Home Affairs office, Tuesday, December 8.
Meanwhile, the head of the KPU, Arief Budiman, said that the postponement of the election in Boven Digoel was proposed by the district KPU. Currently, the dispute process is still running according to schedule.
"After a verdict has permanent legal force, then we will discuss it again and determine when to proceed. So, this election will be postponed until later after there is a process and a decision that has permanent legal force," said Arief.
Initially, this problem began when the KPU canceled the candidacy of Yusak Yaluwo-Yakob Weremba ten days before the vote. The reason was that the Head of the Sukamiskin Headquarters reported that Yusak was a former corruption convict.
Yusak was only released on parole on August 7, 2014 with a probation period until May 26, 2017. In fact, PKPU Number 9 of 2020 regulates that a new person can run for regional elections five years after completing a prison sentence.
Yusak's cancellation from a candidate for regional head (cakada) made his supporters angry. They even took an anarchist action by burning the house belonging to Yusak's competitor Chaerul Anwar.
From this case, the Chairman of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Abhan has asked the KPU to postpone the 2020 Pilkada voting in Boven Digoel Regency regarding the cancellation of the nomination of the Yusak Yaluwo-Yakob Weremba pair on November 29.
Abhan explained that currently there is a legal process after the KPU issued a decision to cancel a candidate pair. This process has been registered in the handling of the dispute by Bawaslu since 2 December.
Based on statutory regulations, Abhan estimates that the decision on the outcome of the election dispute in Boven Digoel will only come out in mid-February 2021.
"That because this is not possible on 9 December, the KPU (must determine) whether this will be postponed. That is in the realm of KPU policy," said Abhan.
Not to mention if there is a legal remedy in the form of an appeal to the State Administrative Court (PTUN). So, the decision resulting from a dispute that has legal force can still run longer.
"Then, if there is a legal action to the Supreme Court, it will be longer. This means, indirectly it is not possible to vote at Boven Digoel on December 9," he explained.
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