Legal counsel H. Hery Widodo at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 202/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 over the Tulungagung regent election results dispute, Wednesday (1/8/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) held a preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 202/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 over the Tulungagung regent election results dispute on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The Petitioners are Candidate Pair 03, Maryoto Wibowo and Didik Girnoto Yekti. The hearing took place in panel 3 courtroom in building 1, presided over by Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Enny Nurbaningsih, and Ridwan Mansyur.

Four candidate pairs contested in the Tulungagung regent election. Based on the decree of the Tulungagung Regency KPU (Elections Commission) as the Respondent, Candidate Pair 01 Gatut Sunu Wibowo-Ahmad Baharudin secured the top position with 297,882 votes. Meanwhile, the Petitioners, Maryoto Wibowo and Didik Girnoto Yekti, received 203,107 votes.

The legal counsel of the Petitioners, Herry Widodo, stated that the difference in votes was attributed to the involvement of more than 180 village heads in Tulungagung Regency. This included the alleged participation of the Indonesian Village Apparatus Association (PPDI) of Tulungagung Regency to campaign for Candidate Pair 01.

The involvement of village heads was indicated by a nine-second video taken on September 26, 2024, which appeared to show the alleged support of the Tulungagung Regency PPDI for the pair. This action allegedly violated Article 62 paragraphs (1) and (2) of the KPU Regulation (PKPU) No. 13 of 2024, which prohibits village heads and village officials from participating in election campaign activities. Additionally, it prohibits village heads and village officials from benefiting or harming any candidate pair.

The Petitioners also mentioned this involvement in the campaign of regent candidate Ahmad Baharudin on October 24, 2024. At that time, Ahmad mentioned that several village heads supported Candidate Pair 01.

“There were requests from the candidate pair to always coordinate with village heads in voting, especially for Candidate Pair 01. There was also involvement of village heads and even a prohibition by village heads against campaigning for Candidate Pair 03 or the Petitioners,” said Herry in the panel 3 courtroom.

Herry mentioned that Candidate Pair 01 declared that Tulungagung Regency must align with the Central Government and President Prabowo Subianto. “Therefore, the regent candidate pair must also be supported by the Gerindra Party,” added Herry.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Tulungagung Regency KPU Decree No. 1990 of 2024 concerning the certification of the 2024 Tulungagung regent-vice regent election results dated December 5, 2024, or to nullify the KPU’s decision relating to the vote acquisition of the Candidate Pair 01.

The Petitioners also requested the Court to certify the election results with zero votes for Gatut Sunu Wibowo-Ahmad Baharudin and to certify the Petitioners as the elected candidates with 203,107 votes. They also requested the Court to order the KPU to annul Decree No. 1990 of 2024 on the certification of the Tulungagung 2024 election results, to disqualify Candidate Pair 01, and to certify Candidate Pair 03 as the elected regent and vice regent.

“[We request the Court to] order the Tulungagung Regency Election Commission to implement [such a] decision,” said Herry.

Author              : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor               : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                   : Tiara Agustina
Translators       : Nazila Rikhusshuba/Yuniar Widiastuti (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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