The Petitioners' legal counsel attending the ruling hearing for case No. 130/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 PHPU on the Katingan regent election results dispute, Wednesday (2/5/2025). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the Constitutional Court (MK) dismissed the petition for Case No. 130/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Katingan regent election results dispute, filed by Candidate Pair 1 Sakariyas and Endang Susilawatie. This was due to the fact that the petition had been filed past the deadline set in Law No. 10 of 2016 (Regional Election Law) and Court Regulation No. 3 of 2024.

“[The Court adjudicated], on the petition’s subject matter, declaring the Petitioners’ petition inadmissible,” stated Chief Justice Suhartoyo reading out the verdict alongside the other eight constitutional justices.

Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani explained that Article 157 of Regional Election Law rules that petitioners must file their election results dispute petition to the Court at the latest three days after the announcement of the certification of election results by the corresponding Elections Commission (KPU). The Court had no doubt in declaring that the Petitioners' petition had been filed outside of the three-day window.

"Thus, on other exceptions the Petitioners' legal standing, the petition's subject matter, and other matters were not considered as there is no relevance," Justice Arsul added.

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At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners alleged not only violations related to official appointments but also fraud involving the manipulation of the additional final voter list (DPTb) and relocated voters, purportedly to benefit the vote count for Candidate Pair 03. The Petitioners argued that the violation resulted in Candidate Pair 03 acquiring the most votes.

The Petitioners, in their petitums, requested the Court to annul the Katingan KPU Decree No. 1722 on the certification of the 2024 Katingan regent election results dispute dated December 4, 2024 concerning the vote acquisition at TPS 03 in Luwuk Kanan Village, Tasik Payawan District; TPS 004 in Pendahara Village, Tewang Sangalang Garing District; TPS 003 in Tumbang Kalemei Village, Katingan Tengah District, Tewang Sangalang Garing District, Bukit Raya District, Katingan Hulu District, and Petak Malai District. They also requested the Court to disqualify Candidate Pair 03, certify the correct vote acquisition according to the Petitioners—namely, Candidate Pair 01 with 28,702 votes, Candidate Pair 02 with 20,257 votes, and Candidate Pair 03 with 28,621 votes—and order the Katingan KPU to carry out a revote at the polling stations in question.

Author  : Mimi Kartika
Editor   : Fitri Yuliana

Translator     : M. Hafidh Al Mukmin/FS (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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