The Petitioners’ legal counsels at the ruling hearing for the 2024 Morotai Island regent election results dispute Case No. 19/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 in the plenary courtroom, Tuesday (2/4/2025). Photo by MKRI.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court (MK) ruled the petition for case No. 19/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Morotai Islands regent election results dispute inadmissible. The decision was issued at a ruling hearing presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo and the eight constitutional justices on Tuesday, February 4, 2025

“On the subject matter, [the Court adjudicated] to render the Petitioner’s petition inadmissible,” Chief Justice Suhartoyo declared the verdict in the plenary courtroom.

The Court dismissed the petition filed by Regent Candidate Pair 2 Syamsuddin Banjo–Judi Robert Efendis Dadana for not meeting the threshold stipulated in Article 158 of Law No. 10 of 2016 on Regional Elections.

The Petitioners should have been able to lodge an election results dispute petition if their vote difference with Candidate Pair 3 Rusli Siboa – Rio Christian Pawane (Relevant Party) had not exceeded 2 percent or 893 votes. Yet, the difference in vote acquisition surpassed the threshold.

There was a 40.93-percent or 18,266-vote difference between the Petitioners and the Relevant Party in the election. Thus, the Court views that the Petitioners had no legal standing to file a dispute petition.

“According to the Court, the Petitioners had no legal standing to file the a quo petition. Thus, the Respondent and the Relevant Party’s claims that the Petitioners had no legal standing have legal grounds,” said Constitutional Justice M. Guntur Hamzah.

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State Civil Apparatus Status Questioned in Morotai Island Election Dispute

Morotai Island Election Result Dispute Highlights Regent Candidate's Occupation Status Change

At the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the Petitioners argued several issues, including the alleged falsification of identity, specifically the occupation in the resident identification (KTP) of Regent Candidate 3 (Relevant Party). The Petitioners alleged the Relevant Party was still an active civil apparatus, not an entrepreneur. The Petitioners also argued that the Relevant Party allegedly still has outstanding debts.

In their petitums, the Petitioners requested the Court to annul the Morotai Island Regency KPU (Elections Commission) Decree No. 101 of 2024 on the certification of the 2024 Morotai Island regent-vice regent election results. They also requested the Court to disqualify the Relevant Party from the regent election and to order the Central KPU to take over and carry out a revote at all of the polling stations in the regency.

Author         : Ashri Fadilla
Editor          : Tiara Agustina
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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