Bawaslu: Sending Voice Letters By PPLN Taipei Violates Procedures

Chairman of Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja at the Indonesian Bawaslu Media Center, Jakarta, Thursday (28/12/2023) (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) provided clarification regarding allegations of misprocedures in the 2024 Elections distribution in Taipei, Taiwan, which were sent to voters on December 18 and 25, 2023. The Coordinator of the Bawaslu Violation Division Puadi explained the sending of ballots from the Overseas Election Committee (PPLN) to voters by post method based on the PKPU attachment 25 of 2023, it should only take place on January 2 to 11, 2024 or 30 days before voting date, namely February 14, 2024. "So, there are allegations of election administration violations committed by the Overseas Voting Organizing Group (KPPSLN) post and or PPLN Taipei," said Puadi at Bawaslu Office, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday 28 December. Regarding 31,276 ballots declared by the KPU as ballots were damaged, he continued, Bawaslu is of the view that there is no ballot criteria damaged due to error in the delivery procedure. The reason, continued Puadi, in the Decree of KPU Number 1395 of 2023 on page 19 related to the broken ballot criteria, there are no points that mention the misprocedure in sending as one of the indicators to state a broken ballot letter. There is thus no legal reason for the KPU to state a number of 31,276 ballots that have been sent through the post by PPLN Taipei to voters as a broken ballot letter,'' it is clear. Not only that, Puadi also said that Bawaslu was worried that the determination of the ballot that had been sent as a ballot was damaged and asked for the delivery of a replacement ballot would lead to a more complex problem potential. Previously, the new KPU clarified to PPLN in Taipei after the error was viral or excited in social media regarding the voter video in Taiwan which claimed to have received the ballot. KPU chairman Hasyim Asyari revealed that the KPU had taken four actions against this error. First, the ballot that the vote letter that had been sent to voters in Taiwan was declared to be in a damaged category and was not taken into account.

Second, the KPU will send a replacement ballot to PPLN in Taipei according to the amount that has been sent to voters before January 2, 2024. Third, the ballot that has not been sent will be sent according to the set schedule, namely January 2, 2024. Fourth, the damaged ballot will be marked if it is returned to PPLN. At the same time, the replacement ballot and the unsent ballot will also be marked to distinguish it from the ballot that has been sent.