The Petitioners’ legal counsel Arteria Dahlan at the preliminary hearing for the Central Halmahera regent election results dispute, Monday (1/13/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Regent Candidate Pair 2 Edi Langkara and Abd Rahim Odeyani (Petitioners) argued several violations or frauds conducted by their rival Candidate Pair 3 Ikram Malan Sangadji and Ahlan Djumadil (Relevant Party) at the preliminary hearing for the Central Halmahera regent election results dispute at the Constitutional Court (MK). Edi-Rahim were the incumbent regent and vice regent, while Ikram was the acting regent who claimed to have been directly appointed by the Central Government.

“The 2024 Central Halmahera regent election turned into a power struggle dominated and determined by select parties for the interest of mining oligarchs,” Arteria began at the hearing presided over by Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani in panel 2 courtroom on Monday, January 13, 2025.

Arteria added that Regent Candidate 3 Ikram Malan Sangadji had long been prepared in a structured and systematic manner to be the regent of Central Halmahera of 2024-2029. Ikram was a former assistant deputy of captured fishing management in the Deputy of Coordination for Maritime Resources in the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs, then led by Luhut Binsar Panjaitan. Ikram, who was appointed as acting regent, in many instances had claimed to be “proxy of the Central Government” or “Luhut Binsar Panjaitan’s confidant” who was “mandated to bring and guard missions from the Central Government.”

As the acting regent, Ikram was said to have altered the local budget of Central Halmahera unilaterally without consultation or approval from the Regency DPRD (Legislative Council). He even conspired with the regency’s secretary Bahri Sudirman to misappropriate regency government’s official events and budget to run a covert campaign for Candidate Pair 3.

Ikram also issued a decree on the tourism area designation, which essentially revoked a decree on the designation of Boki Maruru and the surrounding areas as geological heritage and priority area for the development of Central Halmahera Geopark. The Petitioners believe that the decree—which increased 4,300 hectares of mining area—showed his support for the interests of mining businessmen that he is close with. The mining companies that had been formerly banned then were able to operate and extract nickel and limestone in the geological area of Boki Maruru and the surrounding areas.

The Petitioners argued that Candidate Pair 3 had pooled support from those mining businesses to run in the regent election. Ikram was also alleged to have mobilized support from state civil apparatus (ASN) to win the election.

In their petitums, the Petitioners of Case Number 216/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 requested that the Court annul the Central Halmahera KPU Decree No. 417 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Katingan regent election results dated December 6, 2024 pertaining to the vote acquisition of Candidate Pair 3 Ikram Malan Sangadji-Ahlan Djumadil. They also requested the Court to annul or disqualify the pair from the election and to order Central Halmahera KPU to certify Edi Langkara and Abd Rahim Odeyani as regent and vice regent-elect.

Author              : Mimi Kartika
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Fauzan Febriyan
Translators        : 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.

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