The Petitioners’ legal counsel Gatut Hendrotriwidodo at the ruling hearing for Case No. 177/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the Southwest Sumba regent election results dispute. Photo by MKRI/Ifa

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) ruled the petition for case No. 177/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Southwest Sumba regent election results dispute inadmissible. The petition was filed by Candidate Pair 2 Fransiskus Marthin Adilalo-Jeremia Tanggu. The verdict was delivered by Chief Justice Suhartoyo at the ruling hearing on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

“On the petition’s subject matter, [the Court] dismisses the Petitioners’ petition,” stated Chief Justice Suhartoyo alongside eight other constitutional justices in the plenary courtroom.

In its legal consideration, delivered by Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani, the Court explained that the civil servants’ partiality was not supported with sufficient evidence. From, the Petitioners’ evidence on the village head and apparatus’ partiality, the Court did not find any voter deliberately supporting a particular candidate pair.

Therefore, the Court implemented Article 158 paragraph 2 letter b of Law No. 10 of 2016 on the Regional Election Law regarding the threshold for filing a petition. In the Southwest Sumba Regency election, the Petitioners won 66,554 votes and candidate pair 1 as the Relevant Party won 74,559 votes. This means that the vote difference of 8,005 votes or 5.3 percent. 

"The Court has confirmed that the stages of the 2024 Southwest Sumba regent election have been carried out under the stages and provisions and that existing problems have been resolved as per the provisions and regulations," said Justice Arsul.

He also added, “On the a quo petition, the Court did not find any special incident or condition,”

Also read:

Fransiskus-Jeremia Protest Against Ex-Regent’s Role in Southwest Sumba Election

Ratu-Dominikus Refutes Allegations of Mobilizing Civil Servants in Southwest Sumba Regent Election

Candidate Pair 1 Ratu Ngadu Bonnu Wulla-Dominikus Alphawan Rangga Kaka are argued to have benefited because they have family ties with the previous regent of Southwest Sumba Regency. This family relationship is suspected of still being very influential in mobilizing state civil servants (ASN) in the Southwest Sumba Regency government to support candidate pair 1.

Also, there is an alleged mobilization of district heads at various districts such as Tambolaka, Central Wewewa, West Wewewa, South Wewewa, North Kodi, and Kodi to sort the ID cards according to the affiliation of choice to a particular candidate pair. In this case, the IDs of supporters of candidate pair 2 were withheld or not distributed. (*)

Author : Nawir Arsyad Akbar
Editor : Lulu Anjarsari P.
PR : Tiara Agustina

Translator : Syifa Amelia/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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