The South Barito Regency KPU’s (Respondent) legal counsel Rakhmat Mulyana testifying at the examination hearing of the Respondent’s response and testimonies by the Relevant Party and Bawaslu in case No.273/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the South Barito regent election results dispute, Wednesday, (1/22/2025). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The South Barito vice regent candidate pair 3 Khristanto Yudha completed his imprisonment in Buntok State Correctional Facility Class IIB on June 13, 2015. He had passed the five-year grace period on June 13, 2020, long before the South Barito Elections Commission (KPU) issued a decree No. 1043 of 2024 on the announcement of the 2024 South Barito regent-vice regent candidates.

The South Barito KPU’s legal counsel Rahkmat Mulyana delivered the above statement at the examination hearing for the South Barito regent election results dispute on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The hearing included the Respondent’s response and testimonies by the Relevant Party and Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body). Chief Justice Suhartoyo presided over the hearing alongside Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1.

The Respondent addressed the claim made by regent-vice regent candidate pair 2 Juana dan Tini Rusdihatie (Petitioners). They stated that Khristanto Yudha had revealed his status as a former convict on August 28, 2024, attaching a letter from the chief editor of daily mass media “Tabengan,” a statement letter from the head of Buntok State Correctional Facility dated August 6, 2024, a copy of a Supreme Court decision dated November 22, 2012 with permanent legal force, and a statement letter dated August 16, 2024 confirming that he is not a recurring offender.

“Khristanto Yudha was declared free on June 13, 2015, and made an announcement of his status as former convict in a mass media called Tebengan, which is registered with the Press Council,” explained Rahkmat for case No. 273/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025.

TSM Violations

Meanwhile, the Relevant Party’s legal counsels Darul Huda Mustaqim and Renaldy Farhan denied the Petitioners’ claim of structured, systematic, and massive (TSM) violations through cash distribution in several districts and mobilization of polling station working committee (KPPS) in the Relevant Party’s favor. The Relevant Party had a significant vote margin above the Petitioners.

In addition, the South Barito Regency Bawaslu did not receive any reports and/or findings on TSM violations allegedly committed by the Relevant Party. “As such, the Relevant Party requested the Court to declare the validity of the South Barito Regency KPU Decree No. 1250 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 South Barito election results dated December 5, 2024, 00:05 WITA,” explained Renaldy Farhan reading the Relevant Party’s petitums.

On behalf of the South Barito Regency Bawaslu, Suwarsono expressly stated that they had no reports and/or findings of election violations and election dispute, including those argued by the Petitioners against the Relevant Party.

Also read: Drug Convict Status of South Barito Candidate Questioned

At the preliminary hearing on January 13, 2025, the Petitioners stated that vice regent candidate 3 Khristanto Yudha had been found legally guilty of drug possession and sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison by the Supreme Court. The Petitioners requested the Court to annul the South Barito Regency KPU Decree No. 1250 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 South Barito Regency election.

The Petitioners considered the vice regent candidate registration requirements unfulfilled based on Article 7 paragraph (2) letter g of Law No. 10 of 2016, as outlined in Article 4 paragraph (1) letter f and paragraph (2a) of the KPU Regulation No. 1 of 2020. Therefore, they believe the vice regent candidate 3 should be ineligible for candidacy and be disqualified from the 2024 South Barito Regency election.

 

Also read:

Petition for Case No. 273/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Respondent’s Response

The Relevant Party’s Statement

Bawaslu’s Statement

 

Author               : Sri Pujianti
Editor                : N. Rosi
Translator         : Ryan Alfian/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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