The Respondent’s legal counsel Anwar at the examination hearing for the 2024 Kutai Kartanegara regent election case No. 195/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 to hear the Respondent, the Relevant Party, and Bawaslu, Tuesday (1/23/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) held an examination hearing to hear the Respondent’s response and statements by the Relevant Party and Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) and to validate evidence of the parties on Thursday, January 23, 2025. The hearing for the 2024 Kutai Kartanegara election results dispute case No. 195/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.

On behalf of the Kutai Kartanegara Elections Commission (KPU) as Respondent, legal counsel Alan Fatchan delivered a response pertaining to the calculation of Kutai Kartanegara regent candidate Edi Damansyah’s office term, which the Petitioners disputed.

“Regarding the office term of Edi Damansyah, in line with the Respondent’s response for the petition in Case No. 163/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, in the petitum, [the Respondent] requests the Court to affirm the validity and legality of the Kutai Kartanegara KPU Decree No. 1893 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Kutai Kartanegara regent election results dated December 6, 2025 on 04:06 WITA,” said Alan while reading the response.

The Relevant Party also said that their statement was in line with that for Case No. 163/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025. They clarified that the acting regent’s term should not be included in calculating the total term of office. Therefore, the term should only reflect the period during which the Relevant Party served as definitive regent.

Also read:

Dendi-Alif: Kutai Kartanegara Incumbent Regent Has Served Two Term

Edi Damansyah’s Election After Two Terms in Kutai Kartanegara Challenged

Kutai Kartanegara Elections Commission: Edi Damansyah Eligible for Re-Election

At the preliminary hearing on Monday, January 13, 2025, the Petitioners requested the annulment of the Kutai Kartanegara Regency KPU Decree No. 1893 of 2024 concerning the certification of the 2024 Kutai Kartanegara Regency election results to the Court. They mentioned that the vote acquisitions certified by the KPU (Respondent) are as follows: Candidate Pair 01 Edi Damansyah-Rendi Solihin received 259,489 votes, Candidate Pair 02 Awang Yacoub Luthman-Akhmad Zais received 34,763 votes, and the Petitioners received 83,513 votes.

The Petitioners argued that regent candidate 01 Edi Damansyah had already served two terms: from April 9, 2018 to February 13, 2019 as acting regent, and from February 14, 2019 to February 25, 2021, as definitive regent. As such, the Relevant Party has served a total of 2 years, 10 months, and 12 days, raising concerns about eligibility.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to order the Kutai Kartanegara Regency KPU to carry out a revote at all polling stations throughout Kutai Kartanegara Regency and only include Candidate Pair 02 Awang Yacoub Luthman-Akhmad Zais and Candidate Pair 03 Dendi Suryadi-Alif Turiadi; to order a revote within 60 days from the date the decision is pronounced, and the certification and announcement of the revote results following the provisions of applicable laws and regulations without having to report to the Court.

Also read:

The Petition for Case No. 163/PHPU.GUB-XXIII/2025

Response by the Respondent

Statement by the Relevant Party

Statement by Bawaslu

 

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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