The Petitioners’ legal counsel Andi Mansar, while testifying at the regent election results dispute case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2, Thursday (1/9/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2 held the preliminary hearing for the 2024 Central Tapanuli regent election results dispute on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was petitioned by Candidate Pair 01 Khairul Kiyedi Pasaribu and Darwin Sitompul (Khairul-Darwin).

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested that the Court order the Central Tapanuli Regency KPU (Elections Commission) to certify them as the elected Central Tapanuli regent-vice regent in 2024. The Petitioner also asked the Court to declare the Decree of the Central Tapanuli Regency KPU Number 1846 of 2024 void.

“The Petitioners requested that the Court] order the Respondent to certify Candidate Pair 01 Khairul Kiyedi Pasaribu-Darwin Sitompul as the elected Central Tapanuli regent-vice regent in 2024 in the 2024 Central Tapanuli regent-vice regent election,” said legal counsel Andi Mansar reading out the petitums at the hearing on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

The Petitioner’s reason for asking the Court to declare himself as the 2024 elected Regent and Deputy Regent is because the KPU of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) is considered unprofessional in issuing a certification. This is evidenced by the letter issued by the KPU RI regarding the re-acceptance of candidate registration in regions with 1 candidate pair dated September 11, 2024.

“Problems arose in the 2024 Regent and Deputy Regent Election of Central Tapanuli when the General Election Commission of the Republic of Indonesia issued General Election Commission letter Number 2038/PL.02.2-SD/06/2024 Regarding Reacceptance of Candidate Pair Registration in Regions with 1 Candidate Pair on September 11, 2024,” Andi said during the reading of the main petition.

Andi objected and considered the decision as a form of systematic legal conditioning to pass candidate pair Number 2 Masinton Pasaribu and Mahmud Efendi (Masinton-Mahmud) in the 2024 Central Tapanuli Regent Election. This is reinforced by the Petitioner's statement.

“Masinton Pasaribu, who at that time was still a member of the House of Representatives, was angry at the meeting with the General Election Commission of the Republic of Indonesia on September 11, 2024, where as a result of the anger acted out by Masinton Pasaribu, the General Election Commission of the Republic of Indonesia issued Letter Number 2038/PL.02.2-SD/06/2024 dated September 11, 2024,” Andi stated during the reading of the main petition.

Bypassing KPU Regulations

Andi added that after KPU RI acted unprofessional, Central Tapanuli Regency KPU also acted unprofessional in the execution of the 2024 Central Tapanuli Election. This is proven by some of the performance that deviates and/or is not in accordance with several KPU Regulations Number 8 of 2024 and KPU Regulation Number 10 of 2014.

“After the issuance of General Election Commission letter 2038/PL.02.2-SD/06/2024 dated September 11, 2024, by the General Election Commission, the Respondent began to work not in accordance with the Laws and Regulations. The Respondent violated the provisions of PKPU Number 8 of 2024 and also PKPU Number 10 of 2024,” stated Andi. 

One of the unprofessional performances of the Tapanuli Regency KPU by the Petitioner was proven by the acceptance of the Masinton-Mahmud candidate file using the support of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). The PDI Perjuangan had previously given its support to the Petitioner. The Petitioner finally referred to the provisions of Article 100 paragraph (1) of KPU Regulation Number 8 of 2024 which stipulates that a political party participating that has registered a candidate pair with the Provincial KPU and Regency / City KPU, cannot withdraw its proposal.

Based on this, the Petitioner requests the Court to declare the petitioner as the 2024 Regent and Deputy Regent and declare void the Decree of the Central Tapanuli Regency KPU Number 1846 of 2024 concerning the Determination of the Recapitulation of the 2024 Results of the Election. The petitioner stated that the Masinton-Mahmud candidate pair did not fulfill the minimum support requirements as stipulated in Article 11 letter b number 2 of KPU Regulation Number 10 of 2024.

Also, read the petition for Case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. 

Author          : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor            : N. Rosi
Translators : Dinita Aktivia / 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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