Legal counsels Pangeran (left) and Ifrianto S. Rahman (right) at the preliminary examination hearing for Case No. 40/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 on the Gorontalo mayor election results dispute, Tuesday (1/14/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) held a preliminary examination hearing for the 2024 Gorontalo mayor election results dispute, chaired by Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat on panel 3 on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The Case No. 40/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 was filed by Gorontalo mayor-vice mayor candidates 04 Ryan Fahrichsan Kono and Charles Budi Doku.

In their petition, the Petitioners raised concerns regarding the candidacy of Adhan Dambea, Gorontalo mayor candidate 03, who had been disqualified by the Gorontalo KPU (Elections Commission) in 2013 following a lawsuit filed by another candidate pair. The lawsuit pertained to the validity of Adhan Dambea’s educational credentials, specifically the absence of an elementary school diploma. Instead, he presented an elementary school graduation certificate (SKT) as a substitute. This matter had previously been brought before the Manado State Administrative Court (PTUN) in 2013.

“The main point, Your Honors, is that there is no elementary school diploma, only a certificate of elementary school graduation. This issue has persisted since 2013,” stated legal counsel Pangeran.

Furthermore, Ifrianto S. Rahman as the other legal counsel explained that this matter had previously been brought before the Manado State Administrative Court. In its decision, it annulled the Gorontalo KPU decree dated January 19, 2013, which certified Adhan Dambea and Indrawanto Hasan as a candidate pair in the 2013 Gorontalo mayor election. The decision was based on the finding that Adhan Dambea’s candidacy was supported only by a copy of the elementary school graduation certificate (SKT), whose legalization had been unilaterally canceled by the head of the Gorontalo Education Office. The Manado State Administrative Court also ordered the Gorontalo KPU to revoke the decree.

“Adhan Dambea appealed to the Makassar PTUN, which on June 24, 2013 upheld the Manado PTUN’s decision. Dissatisfied with the result, he filed for cassation to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia on November 14, 2013. However, with its verdict, the Supreme Court rejected the cassation appeal,” Ifrianto emphasized.

Ifrianto added that the Petitioners also alleged campaign violations by Adhan Dambea. On November 14, 2024, they filed a report with the Gorontalo Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body), citing campaign materials allegedly containing insults, slander, incitement, and divisive rhetoric. The report, now already registered, is being reviewed by the Integrated Law Enforcement Center (Gakumdu) of the Gorontalo Police. While the investigation has progressed to an advanced stage, it remains unresolved.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the annulment of the Gorontalo KPU Decree No. 569 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Gorontalo mayor election results. They also requested that Candidate Pair Number 03 Adhan Dambea and Indra Gobel be disqualified from the election.

The Petitioners further requested the Court to order the Gorontalo KPU to conduct a revote involving only Candidate Pair 01 Idris Rahim-Andi Ilham, Candidate Pair 02 Mohamad Ramli Anwar-Ahmad Ana Supriyana Abdul Hamid, and Candidate Pair 04 Ryan Fahrichsan Kono-Charles Budi Doku.

Author              : Utami Argawati
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Tiara Agustina
Translators        : Nazila Rikhusshuba/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

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.

---