Ahead of Voting, Metro City KPU Cancels Candidate Pair Number 2 Wahdi-Qomaru Zaman

Paslon mayor and deputy mayor of Metro number 2 Wahdi-Qomaru Zaman during the appointment of candidates at the KPU Office (ANTARA)

METRO - The General Election Commission (KPU) of Metro City, Lampung, issued a letter announcing the cancellation of the candidate pair (paslon) for mayor and deputy mayor of Metro number 2 Wahdi-Qomaru Zaman.

The decision of the KPU of Metro City to cancel the nomination of Wahdi-Qomaru Zaman has drawn pros and cons among the community and academics.

The disqualification of candidate pair number 2 was carried out by the KPU of Metro City based on a letter from the Bawaslu of Metro City stating that Qomaru Zaman was proven guilty of committing an election crime that was subject to the sanction of disqualification of the candidate pair.

The Metro City KPU in its official statement, Wednesday, stated that this was based on or following up on the Metro City Bawaslu Letter Number 305/PP.00.02/Κ.ΙA-15/11/2024 dated November 10, 2024 regarding the Cover Letter and Copy of the Metro City District Court Decision Number 191/Pid.Sus/2024/PN.Metro dated November 1, 2024.

In the decision letter, the Metro City KPU also did not include candidate pair number 2 in the election on November 27.

The cancellation of candidate pair number 2 means that the Metro City Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Election (Pilwalkot) only has one candidate left. After the decision to cancel candidate pair number 2 Wahdi Sirajuddin -Qomaru Zaman, five Metro City KPU commissioners immediately disappeared, not one commissioner was in his office.

Until Wednesday evening, there has been no official statement from the chairman or commissioner of the Metro City KPU to the media crew. After the decision to cancel the candidacy of candidate pair number 2, a number of police officers were seen tightening security at the Metro City KPU office.

The Metro City KPU's decision to cancel candidate pair number 2 has drawn pros and cons among the community and academics.

Academician from the Muhammadiyah University of Lampung Candrawansah said that the decision should indeed be accepted by the Wahdi and Qomaru Zaman candidates who were subject to election crimes, so that administrative sanctions would be imposed to cancel their participation in the nomination.

"In my opinion, the decision of the Metro City KPU which has made the decision is correct, because even though the candidate is subject to a one-day probationary legal sanction, he has been subject to an election or election criminal sanction and has disqualified him as a candidate," said Candra

Candra added that the decision should not have a formal appeal mechanism in the laws and regulations related to the KPU's decision, except to Bawaslu.

"Of course, in this KPU decision, I think that in a hierarchical manner from the city KPU, provincial KPU and the Indonesian KPU already know about the decision and the results of the consultation from the Metro KPU," added Candra.

A different opinion was expressed by an academic from the University of Lampung (Unila) Budiono. Budiono stated that the Metro City KPU commissioners decided to cancel candidate pair number 2 Wahdi-Qomaru Zaman at the end of the 2019-2024 term of office.

"They decided one day before the end of their term of office, D-1 of the inauguration. Ethically, they can no longer make a very strategic decision like this," said Budiono.

Budiono explained that the decision was no different from a 'hot potato' that had the potential to cause chaos because the decision of the Metro City KPU commissioners was considered inappropriate as the organizer of the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) contestation approaching D-7 of the voting process.

According to Budiono, the commissioners decided that the cancellation of the Wahdi-Qomaru candidate pair could be processed legally or reported to the police.

"It can be reported to the police, why go to the DKPP, because their term of office has ended. They are no longer the organizers," said Budiono.

Previously, the candidate for Deputy Mayor of Metro Qomaru Zaman was named a suspect by the Metro City Gakkumdu Center and his case has been tried at the Metro City District Court.

In the verdict, the panel of judges stated that Qomaru was found guilty of violating election crimes and was sentenced to a fine of Rp 6 million, subsidiary to one month in prison.

It is known that candidate pair number 2 Wahdi-Qomaru are incumbents who are again competing in the 2024 Metro City Mayoral Election. Candidate pair number 2 is supported by PDIP, the Nasdem party, Golkar, PKS, PKB and the Gerindra parties.