The Petitioners’ legal counsel Isnaldi at the ruling hearing for case No. 170/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Nganjuk regent election results dispute, Tuesday (2/4/2025). Photo by MKRI/Teguh.

JAKARTA (MKRI) – At a ruling hearing on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra delivered the Court’s legal consideration on the 2024 Nganjuk regent election results dispute, petitioned by filed by Candidate Pair 1 Muhammad Muhibbin-Aushaf Fajr Herdiansyah. Vice-regent candidate 3 Trihandy Cahyo Saputro has fulfilled the requirements for resignation as per the provisions of the laws and regulations. Thus, the Petitioners’ argument regarding his to fulfill candidate registration requirements was legally groundless.

The Court found that Trihandy had submitted a revision of the administrative requirements to the Nganjuk Regency KPU (Elections Commission). The fulfillment of these requirements is stated in the Report No. 165/PL.02.2-BA/3518/2/2024 on the acceptance of revision to candidate pair documents in the 2024 Nganjuk regent election, dated September 8, 2024. Therefore, the Court considers that Trihandy Cahyo Saputro has fulfilled the requirements for resignation as per the provisions of laws and regulations.

“Thus, the Petitioners’ petition on Trihandy Cahyo Saputro’s failure to fulfill registration requirements is baseless and therefore legally groundless,” said Deputy Chief Justice Saldi.

Regarding the claim that Candidate Pair 3 Marhaen Djumadi and Trihandy Cahyo Saputro had abused their power and misappropriated programs and activities while serving as of Nganjuk acting regent and definitive regent, the Court assessed that there had indeed been the appointments/inaugurations of structural officials within the Nganjuk Regency Government by Nganjuk regent Marhaen Djumadi. However, all of these inaugurations were carried out in 2022 and 2023, when the person concerned had not yet run as Nganjuk regent candidate for the 2024-2029 term. Even the stages of the 2024 Nganjuk regent election had not yet begun.

Therefore, the Court considered the petition legally groundless. The Petitioners’ vote acquisition was 246,993 votes and the Relevant Party’s (the most-voted candidate pair) was 259,179 votes, so the vote margin was 259,179 votes - 246,993 votes = 12,186 votes (equivalent to 1.91%) or more than 3,183 votes. Thus, the Court argued that there was no reason for the Court to disregard Article 158 of Law 10/2016 on the Petitioners’ legal standing.

“[The Court] adjudicated, on exceptions: to grant the Respondent’s and the Relevant Party’s exceptions regarding the Petitioners’ legal standing, to reject the Respondent’s and the Relevant Party’s exceptions for the remainder; on the petition’s subject matter: to declare the Petitioners’ petition inadmissible,” said Chief Justice Suhartoyo.

Also read:

Elected Nganjuk Vice Regent Allegedly Active DPRD Member, Petitioners Request a Revote

Nganjuk Regency Bawaslu, KPU: Trihandy Has Resigned as DPRD Member

At the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Petitioners stated that the elected vice regent candidate Trihandy Cahyo Saputro did not meet requirements, as he had not resigned from his position as a member of Nganjuk Regency DPRD for the 2024-2029 period at the time of candidate registration on August 28, 2024.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested the Court to cancel the Nganjuk Regency KPU’s vote count results in eleven districts. Even further, they requested a revote in those districts: Rejoso, Tanjunganom, Gondang, Berbek, Loceret, Prambon, Kertosono, Baron, Lengkong, Sukomoro, and Nganjuk.

Author: Sri Pujianti
Editor: N. Rosi
Translator: Syifa Amelia/Yuniar Widiastuti (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.