Jayapura — Papua’s General Elections Commission (KPU) has officially ratified the results of the repeat election (PSU) in Biak Numfor Regency. Candidate pair number 01, Benhur Tommy Mano – Constant Karma (BTM–CK), secured victory with 31,889 votes, or 56.06 percent, defeating rival pair number 02, Matius Fakhiri – Aryoko Rumaropen, who gained 26,223 votes, or 43.94 percent.
Nevertheless, in Papua’s overall tally, Fakhiri–Rumaropen, also known as Mariyo, remain in the lead with 259,817 votes—narrowly ahead by 4,134 votes over BTM–CK, who obtained 255,683 votes.
Papua KPU Chairwoman Diana Simbiak emphasized that the decision is final.
“Today the Papua KPU officially confirmed the Biak Numfor recapitulation in accordance with procedure. These figures are valid and cannot be contested outside the legal process,” she stated during the plenary session on Saturday (Aug. 16), as quoted by jayapurapost.com.
The plenary session was briefly marked by objections from candidate representatives alleging a lack of neutrality in oversight. However, Papua KPU assured that all stages had been conducted according to regulations.
Praise also came from Otniel Deda, Deputy Chair of the Papua Cerah Coalition in Jayapura City. He supported the firmness of KPU while reminding that the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) must not exceed its authority.
“We appreciate KPU’s commitment to stand firm. But there should be no intervention that undermines the final determination. Democracy must be preserved,” he said.
With the completion of the Biak Numfor recapitulation, Papua’s KPU officially closed the PSU process in eight regencies and one city. The public now awaits the official final results, scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. local time in Jayapura.
