Jimmy-Kristo Challenge Cheap Market Program by Manado Incumbent Mayor Candidate
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The Petitioners’ legal counsels Sonny E. Udjaili (left) and Prayogha Rizky Laminullah (right) attending the preliminary hearing for case No. 26/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 on the mayor-vice mayor election result dispute on Tuesday, (1/14/2025) in panel 3 courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.


JAKARTA (MKRI) — Manado City mayor-vice mayor candidate pair 3 Jimmy Rimba Rogi-Kristo Ivan Ferno Lumentut have filed a petition to request the annulment of the Manado City KPU (Elections Commission) Decree No. 887 of 2024 on the certification of Manado City mayor election results dated December 3, 2024. The Petitioners suspected authority abuse by the incumbent mayor-vice mayor candidate pair 1 Andrei Angouw-Richard Hendri Marthen Sualang.

Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat presided over the preliminary hearing for case No. 26/PHPU.WAKO-XXIII/2025 with Constitutional Justices Anwar Usman and Enny Nurbaningsih on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 in panel 3 courtroom. In the petition, the Petitioners argued that the incumbent candidate pair held a cheap market program during their term of office.

The Petitioner’s legal counsel Prayogha Rizky Laminullah argued that the implementation of cheap market program six months before the candidate announcement had violated Article 71 paragraph (3) of Law No. 10 of 2016 on the Second Amendment to Law No. 1 of 2015 on the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors (Pilkada Law), which prohibits governors, regents, mayors and their deputies from using their authority, programs, and activities to benefit or harm any candidates within six months before the candidate announcement until the certification of the elected candidate pair.

“This [cheap market] program violated Article 71 paragraph (3), Your Honors. There are 11 districts in Manado City and we have collected evidence from 9 districts of this program, which was organized by candidate pair 1 when they were in office,” explained Prayogha in panel 3 courtroom.

This Petitioners also suspected the involvement of the Manado City Interreligious Cooperation Council (BKSAUA) in the cheap market program indicating campaign in places of worship under the guise of this program.

The Petitioners raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest in this program, which was continued by Manado acting mayor Clay June Dondokambey, nephew of the general treasurer of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and former North Sulawesi governor Olly Dondokambey. Notably, Andrei Angouw-Richard Hendri Marthen Sualang are also members of said party.

As such, the Petitioners also argued that the acting mayor was involved in the campaign of said candidate pair, considering this program was a covert campaign in 11 districts.

Mobilization of Civil Apparatus

The Petitioners also suspected that the incumbent had mobilized state civil apparatus (ASN), contract-based government workers (PPPK), daily workers of Manado City market company, and employees of Wanua Wenang water company (PDAM), totaling 8,413 individuals, to endorse candidate pair 2.

In the petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to: 1) annul the Manado City KPU Decree No. 887 of 2024 relevant to the votes for Andrei Angouw-Richard Hendri Marthen Sualang; 2) order the Manado City KPU to certify 12,501 votes for Benny Parasan-Boby Daud with, 97,564 votes for Jimmy Rimba Rogi-Kristo Ivan Ferno Lumentut, and 1,839 votes for Jacob Pilemon Audy Karamoy-Lucky Datau; 3) and disqualify Andrei Angouw-Richard Hendri Marthen Sualang.

“Or, alternatively, [the Petitioner request the Court to] annul the Manado KPU Decree No. 887 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Manado mayor-vice mayor election result dated December 3, 2024 relevant to the votes for Andrei Angouw and Richard Hendri Marthen Sualang; and order [the Manado KPU] to do a revote at all polling stations in Manado City,” added Petitioners’ legal counsel Sonny E. Udjaili.

Author              : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                     : Tiara Agustina
Translator         : Ryan Alfian/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.


Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | 11:13 WIB 35