Re-voting in Three Districts in Sumut Crucial, KPU Asks for Security

Governor of North Sumatra Edy Rahmayadi requested that the security and preparation of re-voting elections in three districts in the region be carried out maximally. He reminded incumbents who are fighting or associated with elections not to interfere with the electoral process.

"I was coordinating the preparation for the re-vote (PSU). There are three districts that do PSU, namely Labuhan Batu, Labuhan Batu Selatan, and Mandailing Natal," said Edy after receiving a working visit of the Electoral Commission (KPU) Sumut, in his office, in Medan, Wednesday (14/04/2021).

Labuhan Batu Selatan will conduct PSU at 16 polling stations (TPS), Labuhan Batu in nine POLLING STATIONS, and Mandailing Natal at three polling stations. PSU is implemented as the verdict of the disputed election results in the Constitutional Court.

Edy also asked all parties to contribute to facilitate the implementation of the PSU. The Governor also reminded that the KPU coordinates, especially with elements of the regional leadership coordination forum in the three regions that conduct PSU, especially with the police and TNI, to help security.

Edy said, technically, the budget, logistics, or organizers are ready at the sub-district, village, and TPS levels. It's just that there are a number of obstacles, such as the difficulty of election organizers accessing residential locations in private plantations owned by PT Torganda in Labuhan Batu Selatan.

"That we discussed also how the security of the implementation of PSU. Like in pt Torganda plantation. We'll invite the police to discuss that later. Because for democracy, there is no business of plantation companies interfering in elections. They're just a provider of places," he said.

The governor also asked all parties, both election organizers, regional head candidates, and other stakeholders, to support the running of the PSU in all three elections. He asked that the people be given the opportunity to choose their future leader and that nothing hinders its implementation.

"In the three regions that conducted re-voting in several polling stations related to incumbent candidates, both direct and kinship relations," said Edy.

Previously, the 2020 regional elections were conducted simultaneously in 23 districts / cities in North Sumatra. Labuhan Batu Selatan election which was attended by five candidates based on KPU recapitulation won by Edimin-Ahmad Padli Tanjung with 66,007 votes.

The result was sued by Hasnah Harahap-Kholil Jufri Harahap who got 65,429 votes or only a difference of 578 votes. Hasnah is the wife of Wildan Regent Aswan Tanjung who has served two terms.

In Labuhan Batu, based on the kpu recapitulation results, incumbent candidate Andi Suhaimi Dalimunthe-Faizal Amri Siregar won with 88,130 votes. However, the election result was sued erik Adtrada Ritonga-Elly Rosa Siregar who got 87,292 votes or only 838 votes.

In Mandailing Natal, incumbent Dahlan Hasan Nasution-Aswin won with 79,293 votes. Muhammad Jafar Sukhairi Nasution-Atika Azmi Utami who got 78,921 or 372 votes also appealed the result to the Constitutional Court. With a fairly thin margin, the PSU in the three regions greatly influenced the election results.

Chairman of KPU Sumut Herdensi Adnin explained that they did not face any obstacles in preparing for the implementation of PSU in the three districts. However, as an institution at the provincial level, it is obliged to coordinate to related elements, such as the Provincial Government of North Sumatra, so that there is a common concern in the implementation of PSU.

"So, we coordinate with the Governor, so that we can tell and inform the condition of the implementation of PSU. So far, in terms of budget and logistics have been fulfilled. Right now, we are rolling out voting technical guidance for officers," Herdensi said.

He said, KPU can not run alone implementing the PSU. Like the problem in Labuhan Batu Selatan, the operator's access to PT Torganda plantation is very difficult. With this coordination, it is expected that there is attention from all parties so that PSU is carried out without constraints, especially in relation to security guarantees. (NIKSON SINAGA)

Dikliping from an article published in Kompas.ID https://www.kompas.id/baca/nusantara/2021/04/14/pemungutan-suara-ulang-di-tiga-kabupaten-di-sumut-sangat-menentukan-kpu-minta-pengamanan/