Legal counsel Ahmad Handoko testifying at the regent election results dispute hearing No. 20/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) – Pesawaran regent-vice regent candidates 02 Nanda Indira B. and Antonius Muhammad Ali argued that the candidacy of candidate pair 01 Aries Sandi Darma Putra and Supriyanto was unconstitutional. They alleged that the Pesawaran KPU (Elections Commission) had facilitated the pair’s candidacy despite not having a high school diploma.

This argument was presented by Ahmad Handoko, representing Nanda-Antonius as the Petitioners at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 20/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Pesawaran regent election results dispute. The hearing took place on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in panel 2 courtroom.

At the hearing led by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, Handoko expressed the Petitioners’ strong objection to the vote count results of the 2024 Pesawaran regent election.

“Candidate Pair 01 did not meet the candidacy requirements and the process was conducted unconstitutionally,” stated Handoko reading the petition.

Handoko further alleged that the Pesawaran KPU had intentionally used its authority to approve the candidacy of Aries-Supriyanto despite their failure to provide a high school diploma. Handoko stated that the absence of the diploma was justified by the claim that it was lost.

“The Respondent intentionally used his authority to approve Candidate Pair 01 Aries Sandi Darma Putra for the 2024 Pesawaran regent election, despite the fact that they clearly did not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent,” added Handoko.

In addition to the argument regarding the absence of a diploma, regent candidate Nanda Indira was alleged to have outstanding obligations to the Pesawaran Regency Government, according to the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI). While serving as the Pesawaran regent in 2015, Nanda Indira had a debt of Rp457 million, of which only Rp70 million had been paid, meaning that she still owes Rp386 million to the state.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul KPU Decree No. 1635 of 2024 and disqualify Aries-Supriyanto. In the petitum for disqualification, the Petitioners referred to several previous Constitutional Court decisions, which were cited in the petitum.

“[We request the Court to] disqualify Candidate Pair 01 Aries Sandi Darma Putra and Supriyanto as the elected candidates for the 2024 Pesawaran regent and vice regent election,” Handoko read the petitum.

Author              : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Fauzan Febriyan
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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