Legal counsel Muhammad Ridwan (center) at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 110/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 over the Palembang mayor election results dispute, Wednesday (1/8/2025) in the panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Palembang mayor-vice mayor candidate number 03 Yudha Pratomo and Baharudin filed a petition for mayor election results dispute to the Court. They alleged substantial violations in the election that benefited candidate pair 02 Ratu Dewa and Prima Salam (The Relevant Party). The preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 110/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 was held in the panel 3 courtroom, building 1 MK, presided over by the Constitutional Justices Arief Hidayat (panel chair), Enny Nurbaningsih, and Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh.

At the hearing, legal counsel Muhammad Ridwan argued that the Petitioners emphasized the alleged involvement of Herison, Secretary of the Palembang Civil Service Police Unit, in openly campaigning for Candidate Pair 02. Herison, who had recently been appointed to his position, was accused of actively promoting the Relevant Party through his personal Instagram account. Furthermore, as the Head of Neighborhood Unit (RT) 88/Community Unit (RW) 08 in Sukajaya Village, Sukarami District, Herison was alleged to have used his authority to persuade residents to vote for the Relevant Party.

"There was a violation regarding the ASN [state civil apparatus] rotation and inauguration in Palembang City on May 17, 2024. Although it was still under six months, we assessed that a substantial violation occurred. This violation stemmed from the inauguration, where ASN were mobilized to campaign for Candidate Pair 02," stated Ridwan.

The Petitioners revealed that Herison was appointed as the head of the polling station working committee (KPPS) at Polling Station 59 in Sukajaya Village, Sukarami District. He allegedly visited residents before election day to solicit support for Ratu Dewa-Prima Salam. The vote count results at the polling station showed a dominant vote share for Candidate Pair 02, which the Petitioners argued indicated undue influence.

The Petitioners also emphasized that they had reported the alleged violation to the Palembang Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu). They claimed that the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 02 did not reflect the genuine aspiration of the people but was influenced by actions that contradicted the principles of direct, public, free, confidential, honest, and fair elections. Therefore, based on Article 71, paragraph (6) of Law Number 10 of 2016, the Petitioners requested the Court to disqualify Candidate Pair 02 from the election contest.

The Petitioners also requested the Court to annul the election results as stipulated in the Palembang KPU Decree No. 964 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Palembang mayor election. They further requested the Court to mandate the Palembang KPU to conduct a revote excluding Candidate Pair 02. (*)

Author  : Utami Argawati
Editor   : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Tiara Agustina
Translators     : Nazila Rikhusshuba/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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