Reginaldo Sultan and Boyke Luthfiana, the Petitioners’ legal counsels at the preliminary hearing of West Bandung regent election results dispute. Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA, (MKRI) — Hengki Kurniawan and Ade Sudrajat Usman (Petitioner), Candidate Pair 3 of the 2024 West Bandung Regent Election petitioned the Court to annul West Bandung KPU (General Elections Commission) Decree No. 272 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 West Bandung regent election results issued on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 01.31 WIB. The preliminary hearing on the 2024 regent election results dispute was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

In the hearing of Case Number 192/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, Reginaldo Sultan as a legal counsel of the Petitioners alleged the involvement of state apparatus in the campaign of Candidate Pair 2 Jeje Ritchie and Asep Ismail, including the Minister of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto and the Special Envoy for the Development of the Young Generation and Art Workers, Raffi Ahmad.

These two parties were alleged to have misused their positions to endorse the candidate pair mentioned above while carrying out their visit to Cikahuripan Village, Lembang District. In the visit participated by the Acting Regent, District Head, Village Head, and Village Mentor of West Bandung Regency, there was alleged to be an instruction containing messages in favor of Jeje-Asep. This violation was not reprimanded by West Bandung Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), thus becoming an account of their failure in performing their responsibilities as mandated by Article 30 letter h of Law No. 10 of 2016.

“The speech delivered by the Minister of Village had several times inserted the number 02 and this cannot be interpreted other than to influence the State Apparatus to support the 2024 West Bandung Regent Candidate Pair 2, Jeje Ritchie and Asep Ismail," said Reginaldo. 

Money Politics

Furthermore, the Petitioners also argued there were structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations in the form of money politics. These involved the village head, Village Community Empowerment Institution (LPMD), neighborhood unit, community unit, Family Welfare Movement, community clinic, and the campaign team, ultimately leading to a landslide for Jeje-Asep. These violations took place in eleven districts in West Bandung Regency, including Cikalongwetan, Parongpong, Cipongkor, Rongga, Padalarang, Gunung Halu, Ngamprah, and Cipeundeuy districts.

Thus, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the West Bandung KPU (General Elections Commission) Decree No. 272 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 West Bandung regent election results issued on Thursday, December 5, 2024. They also requested the Court to disqualify the Candidate Pair 2 Jeje Ritchie and Asep Ismail from the 2024 regent election.

Also read: Case Number 192/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Author : Sri Pujianti
Editor : N. Rosi
Translator : Muhammad Hafidh Al Mukmin / FS (RA)

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian versions, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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