Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra with Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani pointing at the evidence to the legal counsel of the Melawi regent election dispute, Thursday (1/9/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held a preliminary hearing of the 2024 Melawi regent election results dispute on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The Case Number 57/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was petitioned by Candidate Pair 1 Kluisen and Iif Usfayadi (Kluisen-Lif) and presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2.

The Petitioners through their legal counsel Yustinus Bianglala, requested that the Court order the Melawi General Elections Commission (KPU) to conduct a revote of the election without the participation of Candidate Pair 2 Dadi Sunarya Usfa Yursa and Malin (Dadi-Malin). In other words, the Petitioners wish to run the election against an empty box. 

The Petitioners requested that the Court disqualify their rival pair Dadi-Malin from the election, on the grounds that they did not meet the requirements to participate in the contestation.

 "[The Petitioners requested the Court] to disqualify the Regent-Deputy Candidate Pair 2 Dadi Sunarya Usfa Yursa and Malin for not meeting the requirements as a candidate pair for the 2024 Melawi regent election," Yustinus read the petitums.

TSM Violations

The Petitioners deemed Candidate Pair Dadi-Malin not eligible to participate in the election based on violations committed in a structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) manner. Some forms of the violations include: impartiality of civil state apparatus, village heads, village officials, and Village Consultative Body, KPU, and Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body). These, the Petitioners argued, implicated the difference in votes between them and Dadi-Malin.

"The difference in votes acquired between the Petitioners and Candidate Pair 2 is due to structured, systematic and massive violations," continued Yustinus.

Furthermore, the Petitioners elaborated that the TSM violations occurred because of Dadi's status as the incumbent regent. This means that all the authority, programs, and activities of the regency of which he held control can be used to benefit him in the contestation. They also believe that the TSM violations occurred since Dadi's younger brother chairs the Regency Legislative Council.

"Structured, systematic, and massive violations have occurred because Candidate 2 Dadi Sunarya Usfa Yursa as an incumbent regent candidate realizes that he could abuse authority and misappropriate programs and activities of Melawi Regency for his own benefit. He was also supported by his younger brother who is the Chair of Melawi Regency Legislative Council," Yustinus explained.

The petition for Case No. 57/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.

Author : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi

Editor : N. Rosi
Translator : M. 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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