Mahfud Can't Believe The 2024 Election Voice Letter Has Arrived To Indonesian Citizens In Taiwan

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD visited the Nurul Hidayah Tahfidzul Qur'an Islamic Boarding School in Sukabumi City, West Java, Wednesday (12/27/2023). BETWEEN/Rio Feisal

SUKABUMI - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD admitted that he did not believe that the 2024 election ballot had reached the hands of Indonesian citizens in Taiwan.

"What voice letter? Where? I don't believe it because it must be announced first what his ballot looks like," Mahfud said in Sukabumi City, West Java, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 27.

Mahfud also doubts the news. However, he said the General Elections Commission (KPU) had gone through the process if the news was true.

"I doubt if it exists. If that's true, it means that the KPU is going through a process to announce the ballot first. That must be initialized first. It's possible that they haven't initialized their ballots yet," he said.

However, the candidate for vice president number 3 thought the news of the newspaper having arrived in Taiwan was a hoax like in the 2019 elections.

"Maybe it's the same as the previous election. He said there were 8 containers of ballots that had been sent, even though the ballots had not been explained. That must be announced first through television, through invited political parties," said Mahfud.

KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari previously mentioned that the distribution of the 2024 election ballots to voters in Taipei, Taiwan violated the rules.

"This could be a problem because the delivery is not on schedule," said Hasyim at a press conference at the KPU office, Jakarta, Tuesday (26/12).

Based on KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 25 of 2023 concerning Voting and Counting in General Elections, there are three methods of choosing for voters abroad, namely polling stations (TPS) abroad, mobile ballot boxes (KSK), and postal methods.

Still in accordance with PKPU Number 25 of 2023, continued Hasyim, sending ballots to voters through postal methods starting on January 2 to 11, 2024. However, the overseas electoral committee (PPLN) in Taipei apparently sent ballots to voters on December 18 and 25, 2023.

The total PPLN in Taipei has sent 31,276 ballots for the Election of Members of the DPR RI and the 2024 presidential election, respectively. There are still 143,869 ballots for each election for members of the DPR and the 2024 presidential election.

The KPU itself has just clarified to PPLN in Taipei regarding this error after it went viral or was excited on social media about a video of voters in Taiwan claiming to have received a ballot.