The ruling hearing for case No. 137/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Central Bengkulu 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 of Case No. 137/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 concerning the dispute over the 2024 Central Bengkulu regent election results, which was filed by Candidates Number 2 Evi Susanti and Rico Zaryan Saputra. The decree was read out by the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo, accompanied by the other eight constitutional justices at the ruling hearing in the plenary courtroom.

“[The Court] approves the withdrawal of the Petitioners’ petition for Case No.137/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025,” Chief Justice Suhartoyo said.

The decree was made as a result of the justice deliberation meeting (RPH) on Thursday, January 30, 2025. Furthermore, the Court will return a copy of the petition to the Petitioners through the Registrar’s Office.

Also read: Evi-Rico Withdraw Petition on Central Bengkulu Election Dispute

The Petitioners argued that there had been allegations of vote inflation committed by Candidate Number 1 Rachmat Rianto and Tarmizi (Rachmat-Tarmizi), who allegedly mobilized voters at almost 30 polling stations in Central Bengkulu Regency.

The Petitioners also alleged the mobilization of civil state apparatus, village officials, and misappropriation of the regional revenue and expenditure budget (APBD) to secure election victory for Rachmat-Tarmizi. Evidence of this allegation was the development of a network of civil state apparatus by Rachmat to support his regent candidacy while serving as the regional secretary of Central Bengkulu. This was also indicated by the misappropriation of the regional budget for a vote buying practice known as “serangan fajar” or “dawn attack” (lit.).

Author               : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor                : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR                    : Fauzan Febriyan
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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