The Petitioners’ legal counsels Rahman Kurniansyah and Zaki Akbar at the preliminary hearing for the Wakatobi regent election results dispute case 61/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, Wednesday (1/15/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Wakatobi Regent Candidate Pair 1 Hamiruddin and Muhammad Ali have filed a petition to the Constitutional Court (MK) on the regent election results dispute. At the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, they strongly alleged Hailana, Regent Candidate 2 (incumbent) of abusing his authority as regent for the 2021–2026 term and misappropriating programs and activities for his own benefits in the 2024 election.

The hearing for Case No. 61/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo (panel chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1. The Petitioners’ legal counsel Rahman Kurniansyah argued that since his candidacy announcement, Haliana had begun conducting programs such as distributions of staple food to the people of Sombu Village, Wangi-Wangi District and social aid in Togo Bonongko District. This was in clear violation of Article 71 paragraph (3) of Law No. 1 of 2015, which prohibits regents or vice regents from taking advantage of their authority from six months before the candidate nomination until election.

“The incumbent inaugurated the new airport, claiming to be on a campaign leave but had no proof of leave. [We] reported this to Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body), but have not received any response or follow up,” Rahman explained.

The Petitioners believe that Haliana had appointed the regency-wide firefighting volunteers and remunerated them using the Wakatobi local budget. In addition, on August 13, 2024, during the election period, as regent, Haliana signed off 190 housing grant documents, which awarded Rp10 million in repair funds to 190 houses.

Next, Rahman claimed that on September 11, 2024, the regent issued statement letters that assigned or rotated a number of state civil apparatus (ASN), one of which was Statement Letter No. 615.A of 2024 on the rotation and appointment of civil servants (PNS) in Wakatobi Regency Government.

“[The Petitioners request the Court] to annul the Wakatobi KPU Decree No. 847 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 regent election results as long as it pertains to that of Candidate Pair 2 Haliana-Safia Wualo, to impose a disqualification sanction to Candidate Pair 2, and to order the Wakatobi KPU to issue a decree certifying Candidate Pair 1 Hamirudin-Muhammad Ali as the 2024 regent and vice regent of Wakatobi,” said Zaki Akbar, another legal counsel, while reading the petitums.

The petition for Case No. 61/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 can be accessed here.

Author            : Sri Pujianti
Editor            : N. Rosi
Translator       : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/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.

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