Prof. Zudan: The Elected Regent Of Sabu Raijua Has A US Passport Without Giving Up His Indonesian Citizen Status

Director General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Prof. Zudan Arif Fakrulloh (Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Director General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Prof. Dr. Zudan Arif Fakrulloh revealed that the elected regent of Sabu Raijua Regency, Orient Patriot Riwu Kore, had a US passport without giving up his Indonesian citizen (WNI) status.

This information was obtained by Zudan from a telephone call to Orient to ask for clarification.

"Today, February 3, 2020, information was obtained that it was true that he had a passport from the United States of America without giving up Indonesian citizenship status," Zudan said in his statement, Wednesday, February 3.

Then, Zudan also admitted that he had coordinated with the Director General of Immigration and the Director General of General Legal Administration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights regarding the passport and citizenship of Orient Riwu Kore.

"The result is that it is true that the passport was issued by the immigration authorities because Orient had previously relinquished his citizenship as an Indonesian citizen to become a foreigner," said Zudan.

Thus, the population database owned by the Ministry of Home Affairs still records Orient's name as an Indonesian citizen. That is why Orient can pass the verification of his candidacy as regional head in the 2020 Pilkada.

Previously, the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of Sabu Raijua Regency received the fact that the elected regent of Sabu Raijua, Orient Patriot Riwu Kore, was actually a US citizen.

In fact, Article 7 of Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Pilkada, the requirement to become a candidate for regional head is an Indonesian citizen (WNI).

Based on a report from the East Nusa Tenggara General Election Commission (KPU), Orient, when he registered as a candidate for Regent of Sabu Raijua last September, he submitted the requirements for population data, namely an electronic KTP as an Indonesian citizen.

Orient population data has also been verified to the Department of Population and Civil Registration (Disdukcapil) Kupang City. As a result, the Kupang Disdukcapil confirmed that Orient was a resident of Kupang City.

During the registration process, Bawaslu Sabu Raijua has also cross-checked Orient's citizenship status with the Head of the NTT Provincial Immigration Office and the United States Embassy in Jakarta since September 10, 2020.

After time, Orient, who was paired with Thobias Uly, won the most votes in the election for the Regent-Deputy Regent of Sabu Raijua with 48.3 percent of the votes. They have been appointed as regents and deputy regents elected by the KPU.

Until finally, the US Embassy just replied to Bawaslu's letter on February 1, 2021. As a result, the US Embassy stated that Orient was a US citizen.

"Based on the reply letter, the United States Embassy in Jakarta informed that Orient Patriot Riwu Kowe is indeed an American citizen," said Head of Bawaslu Sabu Raijua, Yudi Tagi Utama in his statement.