The ruling hearing for case No. 255/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Boven Digoel regent election results dispute, Tuesday (2/4/2025). Photo by MKRI.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) approved the withdrawal of the petition for case No. 255/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 regarding the dispute over the 2024 Boven Digoel regent election results filed by Candidate Pair Number 2 Yakob Weremba and Suharto. The decree was read out by the Chief Justice Suhartoyo alongside the other eight constitutional justices at a ruling hearing on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

“[The Court] approves the withdrawal of the Petitioners’ petition,” said Chief Justice Suhartoyo.

This decree was the result of a justice deliberation meeting (RPH) on Thursday, January 30, 2025. With this decree, the Petitioners, Candidate Pair Number 2 Yakob Weremba and Suharto, cannot re-file a similar petition to the Constitutional Court. The Court will return a copy of the petition to the Petitioners through the Registrar’s Office.

Also read: Yakob–Suharto Withdraw Petition in Boven Digoel Election Dispute

The Petitioners objected to the certification of the vote count results by the Respondent, the Boven Digoel Regency KPU (Elections Commission), who they alleged had not performed its obligation in conducting a careful and thorough examination of the data and documents filled by Candidate Pair Number 3 during registration. The Petitioners said that the Respondent should not have accepted the nomination of Candidate Pair Number 3 because they had committed the criminal offense of desertion in peacetime.

The Petitioners acknowledged that the information of the criminal offense had been obtained from the Surabaya High Military Court III Decision No. PUT/06-K/PMT.III/BDG/ADV/2005, which found Candidate Number 3 guilty of committing the criminal offense of desertion in peacetime. He was then dismissed from military service. He did not openly convey to the public his identity as a former convict.

The Petitioners believed that Candidate Number 3 had deliberately concealed the information from the people of Boven Digoel Regency. This is based on the fact that it became clearer after the Petitioners searched the truth for the information themselves with various efforts permitted by law.

The Petitioners requested the Court to disqualify Candidate Pair Number 3 Petrus Ricolombus Omba and Marlinus. The Petitioner also requested the Court to order the Respondent to conduct a revote within a maximum of 90 days after the verdict is pronounced.

Author               : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi.
Editor                : N. Rosi.
Translator         : Dinita Aktivia/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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