By: Darius Daryono
Indonesia’s democracy is once again being tested through the mechanism of Re-Voting (PSU), held as a continuation of the 2024 Regional Elections (Pilkada). In its implementation, PSU is not merely a technical repetition of the election, but a manifestation of the nation’s commitment to uphold the principles of justice, public participation, and the supremacy of law. Therefore, mutual respect for the PSU results becomes a crucial foundation in maintaining the legitimacy of local governments and strengthening the substantive democracy being built.
In Pesawaran Regency, Lampung Province, the PSU has officially declared the pair of Nanda Indira and Antonius Muhammad Ali as the elected Regent and Deputy Regent. This process took place after the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of Pesawaran Regency formally submitted their endorsement proposal to the Lampung Provincial Government.
Head of the Governance and Regional Autonomy Bureau of the Lampung Provincial Secretariat, Binarti Bintang, stated that they had received the appointment proposal documents. These documents are currently being processed and will soon be forwarded to the Governor of Lampung, Rahmat Mirzani Djausal, to be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs as part of the inauguration procedure. She emphasized that this stage reflects transparency and commitment in ensuring that the entire democratic process proceeds according to applicable regulations.
A similar situation occurred in Mahakam Ulu, East Kalimantan. The General Elections Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia, through its official letter numbered 1183/PL.02.7-5D/06/2025 dated July 9, 2025, stressed that the certification of the winning candidate pair from the PSU must be completed no later than three days after the Constitutional Court’s decision is announced.
Chairman of the KPU RI, Muhammad Afifuddin, stated that this deadline is essential to ensure legal certainty and orderly government transition. He mentioned that the certification of the winning candidate pair must be conducted no later than three days after the Constitutional Court’s ruling. He also reminded all district/city KPUs, including Mahulu, to submit the official appointment proposal to their respective local DPRDs no later than one day after certification. This procedure is an integral part of an accountable and transparent election system, as regulated in PKPU Regulation No. 18 of 2024.
KPU also instructed that every certification decision be immediately uploaded in the form of a digital link to the official KPU RI spreadsheet, while ensuring that the implementation process remains orderly and secure. Direct supervision is also carried out by the Provincial KPU throughout all stages, leaving no room for violations or manipulation of results.
Meanwhile, in Papua, preparations for PSU are being handled seriously. Chairperson of Papua KPU, Diana Simbiak, explained that they have conducted outreach activities to various community groups, including religious leaders, women’s groups, and persons with disabilities. The aim of this outreach is to ensure that messages regarding PSU are effectively disseminated down to grassroots communities.
Following the Constitutional Court’s decision and ahead of the PSU scheduled for August 6, 2025, when the facilitators meet their respective groups, they can relay the information to residents across Papua Province. The success of PSU largely depends on the readiness of the organizers, particularly the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS), which acts as the front line in the field. For this reason, technical training is being conducted comprehensively and in stages from the Provincial KPU to the District Election Committees (PPD), Voting Committee (PPS), and KPPS.
Additionally, Papua KPU will utilize the digital recapitulation system (Sirekap), whereby vote tally results at polling stations (TPS) can be photographed and directly published. Thus, the public in Papua can follow the results from each TPS. KPU RI will deploy its team not only to the provincial KPU office but also to nine cities/regencies. To support connectivity, Papua KPU is also coordinating with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) regarding the provision of Starlink networks in areas prone to connectivity issues.
From these three PSU cases, it can be concluded that the entire process is conducted within strict legal frameworks and is closely monitored. This confirms that PSU is not a reflection of failure, but rather a corrective mechanism in democracy to rectify processes deemed invalid. In this context, the PSU results must be respected by all elements of the nation, including election participants, their supporters, and the general public.
Executive Director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati, emphasized that the PSU mechanism is a concrete form of Indonesia’s democratic system’s willingness to self-correct. She stated that respecting the PSU results is part of political maturity and commitment to the rule of law.
PSU is not just about recounting votes but also about building public trust in our electoral system. If the results are not respected, then the entire process becomes meaningless. Now is the time to prove that we can be a mature nation in democracy.
Democracy is not only about elections but about respecting and safeguarding the integrity of the entire process. If PSU is conducted fairly, honestly, and transparently, then its results must be accepted graciously, whatever they may be. This is the essence of democracy: not about who wins or loses, but how all parties uphold the dignity of the process undertaken.
By respecting PSU results, the nation not only maintains the legitimacy of regional leadership but also shows the world that Indonesia is a mature democratic country, open to correction, and always siding with people’s sovereignty.
*) Domestic Political Analyst
