The Petitioners’ legal counsel at the ruling hearing for Case No.143/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Konawe Islands regent election results dispute, Wednesday (2/5/2025) in the plenary courtroom. Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) dismissed the petition on the 2024 Konawe Islands regent election results dispute filed by Candidate Pair 03 Wa Ode Nurhayati and M. Yacub Rahman. The decision for Case No. 143/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 was delivered by Chief Justice Suhartoyo alongside the other eight constitutional justices at the ruling hearing on Wednesday, February 5, in the plenary courtroom.

“[The Court] adjudicated, on the exceptions regarding the [Court’s] authority: to grant the exception on the deadline for filing the petition, on the petition’s subject matter: to declare the Petitioners’ petition inadmissible,” said Chief Justice Suhartoyo while reading out the verdict for this case in the plenary courtroom, alongside the other eight constitutional justices.

In its legal considerations, delivered by Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani, the Court stated that the Petitioners’ petition was filed beyond the submission deadline as stipulated in Law No. 10 of 2016 (Regional Election Law) and Constitutional Regulation No. 3 of 2024. Therefore, the exception on the deadline by the Court was declared legally justified.

In addition, Justice Arsul said that since the petition passed the deadline, the Court did not consider the legal standing, the petition’s subject matter, or other matters. In fact, the Court did not consider any other exceptions other than the exception regarding the deadline for filing the petition.

"Other exceptions, the legal standing, the subject matter of the Petitioners’ petition, and other matters are not considered as they are deemed irrelevant," said Justice Arsul.

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Konawe Islands Regent's Involvement in the Election

Rifqi-Farid Refute Konawe Islands Regent’s Alleged Bias

At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioners argued that the high vote gain by Candidate Pair Number 4 Rifqi Saifullah Razak and M. Farid (14,255 votes) was caused by the partiality of the active regent, by replacing 51 village heads in the during the election period.

They also revealed that the alleged partiality of the active regent began during the determination of the election stages for the election by the Konawe Election Commission (KPU). He pointed out that Rifqi Saifullah Razak, Candidate Number 4, is the biological son of Amrullah, the incumbent regent whose term of office is still ongoing.

Therefore, the Petitioners requested that the Konawe Islands Regency KPU decree be canceled, and requested the Court to order the disqualification of Candidate Number 4, Rifqi Saifullah Razak. Additionally, the Petitioners asked the Court to direct the Konawe Islands KPU to conduct a revote in seven districts.

Author  : Ahmad Sulthon Zainawi
Editor   : N. Rosi
Translator     : Nazila Rikhusshuba/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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