Regarding The Elected Regent With US Citizenship, The General Election Commission Will Hold Regional Head Election Once More In Sabu Raijua

Illustrated (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The General Election Commission (KPU) will hold a re-voting (PSU) for the 2020 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) in Sabu Raijua Regency. This is because the Constitutional Court (MK) disqualified the elected regent Orient Patriot Riwu Kore.

Orient and his partner, Thobias Uly, were disqualified because it was proven that Orient was still a foreign citizen, namely the United States.

"After the Constitutional Court's decision was read, we held a joint meeting with the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) KPU and the KPU of Sabu Raijua to carry out the Constitutional Court's decision. So, a re-voting was held throughout Sabu Raijua Regency", said KPU I Commissioner Dewa Raka Sandi in a short message, Friday, April 16.

Dewa said that currently, the KPU is still preparing to determine the schedule for re-voting, printing ballots, implementing budgets, resources, or officers at the polling stations, to coordinate with related stakeholders.

"Currently, it is being prepared, both stages, budget, human resources, as well as coordination with all stakeholders. Yesterday, the Indonesian KPU has provided supervision and it should be immediately followed up by both the NTT Provincial KPU and the Sabu Raijua Regency KPU", explained Dewa.

This case began when the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of the Sabu Raijua Regency found out that the elected regent of Sabu Raijua, Orient Patriot Riwu Kore, turned out to be a US citizen.

In fact, Article 7 of Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Pilkada states that the requirements to become candidates for the regional head are Indonesian citizens. However, Orient registered as a regent candidate with an Indonesian citizen electronic ID card.

During the registration process, Bawaslu of the 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 a 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.

Then, the candidate pair number 1 who became the opponent of Orient in the regional elections, Nikodemus N Rihi Heke and Yohanis Yly Kale, sued the Constitutional Court with the aim that the Court could disqualify Orient. The Court granted the request on Thursday, April 15.