Siak KPU representative Iffa Rosita (center) and legal counsel Guntur Adi Nugraha at a hearing for case No. 312/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on the 2024 Siak regent election results dispute, Tuesday (4/29/2025). Photo by MKRI/Fauzan.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Siak regent candidate number 3 Alfedri served as Siak regent for 2016-2021 from February 20, 2019 to June 20, 2021, or a total of 2 years 3 months and 28 days, or less than half of the term. The statement was made by Guntur Adi Nugraha, the legal counsel of the Siak Regency Elections Commission (KPU) as the Respondent, at the second hearing for the 2024 Siak Regency election results dispute, petitioned by Siak vice regent candidate number 1 Sugianto.

Guntur revealed that the explanation was in line with the Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025, in which the Court held that the appointment of a temporary official, in this case vice regent as acting or interim regent, in place of the definitive official who is on temporary leave outside the state’s responsibility for campaign purposes. They return to their vice-regent office after the definitive regent completes their temporary leave. This is not counted into the vice regent’s factual term of office due to the definitive regent being permanently indisposed.

“As the allegation on Alfedri’s failure to meet an administrative requirement of candidacy as referred to the response of the Respondent the Siak Regency Elections Commission in case No. 312/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 petitioned by Siak vice regent candidate number 1 Sugianto relating to Article 7 paragraph (2) letter n, the Respondent declares the Petitioner’s petition legally groundless and warrant a dismissal,” Guntur said at the hearing for case No. 312/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025 on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 before Chief Justice Suhartoyo (chair) and Constitutional Justices Daniel Yusmic P. Foekh and M. Guntur Hamzah on panel 1.

Without Running Mate’s Agreement

Regent-vice regent candidate number 2 Afni–Syamsurizal as Relevant Party I affirmed Guntur’s statement. Meanwhile, regent candidate number 1 Irving Kahar Arifin as Relevant Party II, who also attended the hearing in person, stated that the Petitioner had filed the petition without consulting with him and without his agreement.

“The Petitioners are being listed as Irving Kahar Arifin and Sugianto. This led to much backlash from Siak Regency residents against [me] as a party who has accepted the results of the 2024 Siak regent-vice regent election after the voting on November 27, 2024,” Irving said in the panel courtroom.

On April 9, 2025, Relevant Party II withdrew the election results dispute petition because he does not have anything against the 2024 Siak regent-vice regent election results after the Constitutional Court’s decision nor has he filed such a petition to the Constitutional Court.

Also read: Siak Regent Candidate Alfedri Allegedly Served Two Terms Already

At the preliminary hearing, the Petitioner alleged that Siak regent candidate number 3 Alfedri had served more than two terms from the time he was acting regent on February 15 until June 23, 2018; interim regent on February 20 until March 17, 2019; definitive regent on March 18, 2019 until June 20, 2021; and definitive regent on June 21, 2021 until 2024 (current).

The Petitioner alleged that the Siak General Elections Commission (KPU) as Respondent had not been honest in certifying the candidates. He argued that it had been known since the start of the election process that Alfredi had not met the requirement. Siak Regency Bawaslu (Elections Supervisory Body) had even issued a recommendation on the administrative electoral violation to the Regency KPU, where it stated that Alfredi had not met requirements.

Therefore, in his petitums, the Petitioner asks the Court to annul the Siak Regency KPU Decree No. 68 of 2025 dated March 22, 2025 on the stipulation of the 2024 Siak regent election results following the Constitutional Court decision relating to the 2024 Siak regent candidate pairs number 3 Alfedri; to annul the Siak Regency KPU Decree No. 672 of 2024 dated September 22, 2024 on the stipulation of the 2024 Taliabu Island regent election candidate pairs relating to Alfedri and Husni Merza; to disqualify candidate pair number 3 Alfedri and Husni Merza; and to order the Siak Regency KPU to do a revote without regent candidate Alfedri.

Also read:

Siak Regent Election: Alfredi-Husni Claim Low Voter Turnout and Polling Officials' Focus on Taking Pictures

Siak KPU Denies Allegation of Pre-marked Ballots

Court Hears Testimonies on Issues in Siak Regent Election

Court Partially Grants Siak Election Dispute, Orders Revote and Special Polling Station

 

Petition for Case No. 312/PHPU.BUP-XXIII/2025

Respondent’s response

Statement by Relevant Party

Statement by Relevant Party

Statement by Bawaslu

Author         : Sri Pujianti
Editor          : N. Rosi
PR               : Fauzan F.
Translator     : 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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