The Petitioners’ legal counsel at the ruling hearing for the 2024 Central Tapanuli regent election results dispute Case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 in the plenary courtroom, Tuesday (2/4/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) rendered the petition for Case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the South Sorong regent election results dispute inadmissible for not meeting the 2-percent vote margin threshold. The dismissal for the petition filed by Candidate Pair 1 Khairul Kiyedi Pasaribu–Darwin Sitompul was read out by Chief Justice Suhartoyo alongside the other eight constitutional justices in the plenary courtroom on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

In the legal considerations read out by Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani, the Court emphasized that the vote margin was 12,887 votes or 8 percent. Therefore, the Petitioners had no legal standing to file the a quo petition.

Furthermore, Justice Arsul noted that there was no ground to disregard the provisions of Article 158 of Law No. 10 of 2016 concerning the Petitioners’ legal standing as a formal requirement to file a regional election results dispute. In its legal considerations, the Court was not convinced by the verity of the Petitioners’ arguments.

“Therefore, there is no relevance to further hear the a quo petition in a subsequent evidentiary hearing since without [it], the Court has ascertained that the stages of the 2024 Central Tapanuli regent election had been conducted in accordance with the phases and regulations and that the existing issues had been resolved according to the provisions of the laws and regulations,” said Justice Arsul.

Also read:

Khairul-Darwin Accuse KPU of Unprofessionalism in Central Tapanuli Regent Election

Bawaslu and KPU Response Against Unprofessionalism in Central Tapanuli

At the preliminary hearing on January 9, 2025, the Petitioners argued that the Respondent had been unprofessional in issuing a certification. This is evidenced by the letter issued by the Central KPU regarding the re-acceptance of candidate registration in regions with 1 candidate pair dated September 11, 2024. They objected and considered the decision as a form of systematic legal conditioning to pass the Relevant Party in the 2024 Central Tapanuli regent election.

Also read: Petition for Case No. 151/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Author              : Ahmad Sulthon ZainawI
Editor                : N. Rosi.
Translator        : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/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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