Bawaslu’s witness Moh. Ariful Anam testifying at the 2024 Nganjuk Regency election results dispute hearing for case No. 170/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra and Constitutional Justices Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2, Friday (1/17/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – Nganjuk Regency KPU (Elections Commission) announced that Trihandy Cahyo Saputro, the elected vice-regent candidate, had submitted his resignation letter as a member of the Nganjuk Regency DPRD (Regional Legislative Council) during the registration process for the 2024 Nganjuk Regency election. It was presented by Arfi Musthofa, legal counsel for the Nganjuk Regency KPU (Respondent) in Case No. 170/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, during a follow-up hearing on Friday, January 17, 2025, in a panel courtroom. The examination hearing included the Respondent’s response as well as testimonies from the Relevant Party and Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body).

Arfi explained that when all candidate pairs registered or submitted the required documents to qualify as elected DPRD members, the Nganjuk Regency KPU received a resignation letter from Trihandy. He noted that the letter was dated September 25, 2024, and was subsequently recorded by the Nganjuk Regency KPU in the file receipt No. 154.

“At the time of registration, the resignation letter as an elected candidate was already there,” said Arfi before Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra (panel chair) and Constitutional Justice Ridwan Mansyur and Arsul Sani on panel 2.

Arfi further stated that Trihandy had submitted a revised document, which included a resignation letter from his position as a DPRD member. Therefore, the Respondent requested the Court to reject the Petitioners’ petition in its entirety and to affirm the validity of the Nganjuk Regency KPU Decree No. 1024 of 2024 regarding the certification of the 2024 Nganjuk Regency election results.

Relevant Party Denies Petitioners’ Argument

Meanwhile, Candidate Pair 03 Marhaen Djumadi–Trihandy Cahyo Saputro as the Relevant Party negates the Petitioners’ argument regarding the absence of his resignation letter. Mursid Mudiantoro, the Relevant Party’s legal counsel, said that the Petitioners’ argument was wrong. He further explained that the resignation letter indicated that Trihandy had officially resigned as the Nganjuk Regency DPRD member and factually had never come to the DPRD.

“[Trihandy] has never come [to DPRD] following the evidence we submitted, Your Honors,” revealed Mursid.

Therefore, in the petitums, the Relevant Party requests the Court to declare the Petitioners’ petition as obscuur libel (vague) and to affirm the validity, accuracy, and legality of the minutes and certificates of the vote count recapitulation results from each district at the regency level in the 2024 Nganjuk Regency election.

On behalf of Nganjuk Regency Bawaslu, Moh. Ariful Anam said Nganjuk Regency Bawaslu had never received any report and/or finding of election violations or Trihandy’s status and petition for election dispute. He also confirmed that the Relevant Party has submitted the resignation letter. Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra asked whether the Relevant Party came to the DPRD, to which Anam said, “I don’t know, Your Honor.”

Also read: Elected Nganjuk Vice Regent Allegedly Active DPRD Member, Petitioners Request a Revote

Previously, at the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Petitioners stated that the elected vice regent candidate Trihandy Cahyo Saputro did not meet requirements, as he had not resigned from his position as a member of Nganjuk Regency DPRD for the 2024-2029 period at the time of candidate registration on August 28, 2024.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to cancel the Nganjuk Regency KPU’s vote count results in eleven districts. Even further, they requested a revote in those districts: Rejoso, Tanjunganom, Gondang, Berbek, Loceret, Prambon, Kertosono, Baron, Lengkong, Sukomoro, and Nganjuk.

Author         : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor           : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR               : Fauzan Febriyan
Translator    : Syifa Amelia/Yuniar Widiastuti (NL) (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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