The Petitioners' legal counsels at the preliminary hearing of the Tanah Datar regent election results dispute, Friday (1/10/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Regent Candidate Pair 1 Richi Aprian and Donny Karsont requested the annulment of the Tanah Datar General Elections Commission (KPU) Decree No. 784 of 2024 on the Certification of the 2024 Regent Election Results to the Constitutional Court (MK). The preliminary hearing for the case was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1 on Friday, January 10, 2025.

In the hearing for Case Number 150/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, the Petitioner's legal counsel Jonky Hendry Mailujuw stated Candidate Pair 1 (Petitioners) acquired 77,595 votes and Candidate Pair 2 Eka Putra-Ahmad Fadly 85,692 votes, adding up to a total of 163,287 legitimate votes.

The Petitioners alleged their rival of distributing chicken to voters on the election night and free field plowing service—supposedly a program of the regency government— provided during the election silence.

Jonky added that "There was also social assistance in the form of pick up trucks and ambulances to Simabur Village, Pariangan District, land grant to Pandai Sikek Village, ambulances to Koto Baru Village, X Koto District. These assistance were given on November 24 and November 26, 2024, during the election silence of the 2024 Tanah Datar Regent Election."

Allegations of Partiality

The Petitioners argued that the General Elections Commission as Respondent had favored Candidate Pair 02 and was unprofessional in the 2024 public debate for the election candidates. They also complained about the Respondent's underperforming in the dissemination the regent election process as well as their inaction to the attributes of civil defense officer resembling those of Candidate Pair 2 and the witness intimidation at Polling Stations 4, 10, and 24 in Tanjung Bonai District and polling stations in Lintau Buo Utara District. 

Thus, the Petitioners requested that the Court disqualify Candidate Pair 2, declare Candidate Pair 1 as the regent and deputy regent-elect, and order the Respondent to conduct a revote in polling stations in 14 districts in Tanah Datar Regency.

The petition for the Case Number 150/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 can be read here.

Author : Sri Pujianti

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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