Claims To Find Cheating, PAN Candidate In Sorsel Demands PSU In Seremuk District

A number of PAN candidates during a peaceful demonstration at the Bawaslu Office of South Sorong Regency, Monday (26/2/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Paulus Pulo)

SORONG - A number of legislative candidates from the National Mandate Party (PAN) of South Sorong Regency (Sorsel), Southwest Papua Province, held a peaceful demonstration in front of the local Bawaslu Office to demand a re-voting (PSU) in Seremuk District because there were many violations. Chairman of the DPC PAN Sorsel Marthen Saflesa said his staff had conveyed their aspirations to the Seremuk District Election Committee (PPD) to conduct PSU at eight polling stations (TPS). "During the plenary session in Seremuk District, we had asked PPD to conduct PSU at eight polling stations, but our request did not receive a good response from district level organizers," he said in Teminabuan, Antara, Monday, February 26. Marthen Saflesa assessed that Bawaslu Sorsel was in a hurry to issue a PSU recommendation letter at TPS 01 Kampung Nambro, TPS 02 Kampung Nambro, and TPS 03 Kampung Wamargege Konda District. "In our opinion, the fair and honest solution is to conduct PSU for all polling stations in Seremuk District. We reject the recommendation for re-voting," he said. Responding to the demands of the demonstrators, the Head of Bawaslu Sorsel, Akmal Muntasir, said that his staff had issued recommendations for recounting ballots for all polling stations in Seremuk District. "Based on a letter from the PAN party, we from the South Sorong Regency Bawaslu will issue a recommendation letter for a recapitulation of the vote count. Meanwhile, PAN hopes that there will be a PSU, so it needs to be supported with strong evidence," said Akmal.

Bawaslu Sorsel remains firm in its stance that it will not issue a recommendation letter to conduct a PSU in Seremuk District, but will only issue a recommendation letter for re-voting recapitulation. The peaceful demonstration which was held by a number of PAN candidates at the South Sorsel Bawaslu Office was closely guarded by dozens of police personnel from the South Sorong Police.