The Constitutional Court (MK) dismissed the petition of Palembang mayoral candidates Sarimuda-Abdul Rozak in case No. 25/PHP.KOT-XVI/2018 for passing the deadline stipulated in Article 157 paragraph (5) of Law No. 10 of 2016 on Pilkada as well as Article 5 paragraphs (1) and (4) of the Constitutional Court Regulation No. 5 of 2017 on the Guidelines for Procedures in Disputes over Election Results. The election results dispute petition can be filed up to three days after the vote count recapitulation is determined by the KPU. the Palembang City KPU finished the vote count recapitulation on July 4, while the Petitioners filed the petition on July 9, or five days after the recapitulation. The Petitioners\' argument that the KPU decree on the recapitulation had only been received on July 6 was deemed irrelevant.

In the same hearing, the Court also decided on several other regional head election dispute petitions. The Court dismissed the regional head election dispute petitions on Banyuasin Regency (case No. 10/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018), Kapuas Regency (case No. 70/PHP.BUP –XVI/2018), Pamekasan Regency (case No. 69/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018), North Tapanuli Regency (case No. 42/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018) for passing the deadline. Case No. 42/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 on North Tapanuli Regency was dismissed for not fulfilling the requirements in Article 158 of Law No. 10 of 2017 on Pilkada and Article 7 of the Constitutional Court Regulation No. 5 of 2017. The withdrawal of case No. 22/PHP.BUP-XVI/2018 of Rote Ndao Regency was granted. (Arif/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti