The Petitioners’ legal counsel Zainal Rachman delivering his statement at the preliminary hearing for case No. 39/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 before panel 2, Thursday (1/9/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) – Mesuji Regent Candidate Pair 4 Suprapto and Fuad Amrullah questioned the former convict status of the Mesuji regent-elect Elfianah. According to the Petitioners, Elfianah has manipulated her identity by changing her name from Elviana binti Birta without going through a court order.

Elfianah allegedly did so because her old name Elviana binti Birta is tied to her status as a former convict. “Elviana binti Birta has been proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a crime of selling and distributing subsidized fertilizer outside her jurisdiction,” said the Petitioners’ legal counsel Zainal Rachman at the preliminary examination hearing for Case Number 39/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

The Petitioners demanded that the Mesuji KPU (Elections Commission) as Respondent act professionally in verifying the candidates and disqualify Elfianah’s candidacy. They argued that it is not legally permissible for one person to have two names with 2 different ID cards.

Allegations of Blasphemy

In addition, the Petitioners also highlighted Elfianah’s campaign in which she said, “In his account, the Prophet Muhammad stated, ‘Whosoever votes for Candidate Pair Number 2 shall enter heaven with me [Prophet Muhammad].’” According to the Petitioners, Elfianah lied to the public, made things up, and committed an act of blasphemy.

The Mesuji KPU decreed that Candidate Pair 1 Samsudin-Yulivan Nurullah received 6,475 votes; Candidate Pair 2 Elfianah-Yugi Wicaksono 61,713 votes; Candidate Pair 3 Edi Ashari-Tri Isyana 15,238 votes; and Candidate Pair 4 Suprapto-Fuad Amrullah 37,978 votes; thus determining Elfianah-Yugi as the elected regent-vice regent of 2024.

Therefore, in their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Mesuji KPU Decree No. 1202 of 2024 on the 2024 certification of the Mesuji Regency election candidate pairs insofar as it concerns the determination of Candidate Pair 2 Elfianah-Yugi Wicaksono and the Mesuji KPU No. 1800 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 regency election results insofar as it concerns the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 2. The Petitioners also requested that the Court rule Candidate Pair 4 Suprapto-Fuad Amrullah as the winner of the Mesuji regency election with 37,978 votes and to order the Mesuji KPU to issue a decree that certifies Candidate Pair 4 as the elected Mesuji regent and deputy regent. Alternatively, the Petitioners requested the Court to order a revote at all polling stations throughout Mesuji Regency, Lampung Province.

Author            : Mimi Kartika
Editor            : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                 : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator       : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/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.

---