TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - General Elections Commission (KPU) Chair Mochammad Afifudin stated that the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the results of regional elections or pilkada in 24 regions was not entirely KPU’s fault. He made this statement before regional KPU officials tasked with organizing the repeat voting (PSU) as mandated by the court.

“What we did was not entirely responsible for the Constitutional Court’s decision. We need to make this clear,” Afif said during a coordination meeting between the central KPU and regional KPUs (KPUD) at the KPU headquarters on Monday, March 3.

Afif argued that several factors contributing to the PSU were not solely KPU’s fault as the election organizer. Therefore, he said, it would be unfair for the commission to bear full responsibility.

“We want to ensure fairness and put everything in its proper context. If KPU made mistakes, then so be it. But if other parties were at fault, that should be acknowledged as well,” he said.

He cited the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the term limits of regional heads as an example, noting that differing interpretations exist on the matter. However, he emphasized that KPU had merely implemented existing KPU regulations (PKPU). “We carried out our duties based on PKPU, so any other interpretations are up to them,” he said.

Afif urged KPU officials not to dwell on guilt or failure due to the high number of repeat elections required. Instead, he encouraged them to move forward and prepare for the revote. “It’s okay to feel guilty or sad, but we must stand tall, stay motivated, and remain optimistic,” he said.

Previously, House of Representatives Commission member overseeing governance, Edi Oloan Pasaribu, raised concerns over the large number of regions required to redo the regional elections in 2024. He attributed the PSUs to KPU’s lack of diligence and errors in verifying candidate requirements.

“There are 24 regions that will be holding repeat elections. This is a problem,” Edi said at the House complex in Jakarta on Friday, February 28.

He questioned the competence of regional KPU officials in organizing the 2024 regional elections, arguing that the increasing number of revotes, as mandated by the Constitutional Court, indicated lax enforcement of electoral regulations.

Andi Adam Faturahman contributed to the writing of this article,

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