Legal counsel Harli Muin (standing) at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 109/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Banggai Islands regent election results dispute, Monday (1/13/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held a preliminary examination hearing for the Banggai Islands regent election results dispute on Monday, January 13, 2025. This petition for Case No. 109/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was filed by the Banggai Islands regent-vice regent candidates 04 Sugianto and Hery Ludong.

At the hearing chaired by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat, legal counsel Harli Muin explained that the polling station working committee (KPPS) had not allowed voters supporting the Petitioners to exercise their voting rights because they did not bring their ID cards. Meanwhile, the KPPS at other polling stations allowed voters supporting Candidate Pair 01 Rusli Moidadi-Serfi Kambey to cast their vote even though they did not bring their ID cards and population biodata.

“There was discrimination where the Petitioners’ supporters were hindered, such that those who only brought the C-notice forms without their ID cards were denied the opportunity to vote, while supporters of Candidate Pair 01, who also only brought the C-notice forms without their ID cards, were allowed to vote. In our opinion, this is highly discriminatory,” stated Harli.

Harli also stated that Rusli Moidadi and Serfi Kambey had utilized state facilities in their campaign with the assistance of members of the Central Sulawesi Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD).

“In fact, the use of state facilities is prohibited under Law No. 10 of 2016. The Constitution mandates that elections be conducted fairly for all participants. In addition to using state facilities, Rusli Moidadi - Serfi Kambey also used places of worship as their campaign venues,” explained Harli.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Banggai Islands KPU (Elections Commission) Decree No. 683 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 regent election candidate pairs, dated September 22, 2024, particularly concerning Candidate Pair Rusli Moidadi and Serfi Kambey. The Petitioners further requested that the KPU of Banggai Islands immediately conduct a revote across the entire regency and exclude Candidate Pair 01 from the process.

Author              : Utami Argawati
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Tiara Agustina
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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