Headline: Banjarbaru Vice Mayor Candidate Challenges Disqualification, SeeksMK Intervention
Subhead: Said Abdullah argues KPU‘s decision to disqualify him from Banjarbaru elections was unjustified.
Article:
In a surprising turn of events, Calon Wakil Wali Kota Banjarbaru (Banjarbaru Vice Mayor Candidate) number 2, Said Abdullah, has taken his grievance to the Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK), challenging his disqualification from the recent Banjarbaru elections. Said’s legal team, led by Muhammad Andzar Amar, presented his case in a hearing held at the MK’s Jakarta headquarters on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
Amar contended that the KPU’s (KPU Kota Banjarbaru) decision to disqualify Said was based on a flawed interpretation of the Bawaslu’s recommendations. He argued that the Bawaslu’s report only cited administrative violations, not grounds for disqualification. The controversial decision is outlined in the KPU’s Keputusan Nomor 124 Tahun 2024.
"The KPU acted unilaterally, without conducting a legal review or inviting Said and Aditya Muti, the reported parties, or Bawaslu for a hearing before the plenary meeting," Amar stated, questioning the process that led to the disqualification.
The sudden disqualification of Said and his running mate, Aditya Muti, occurred less than a month before the elections, raising eyebrows. Despite the KPU’s decision, the election ballots had already been printed, bearing the images of the disqualified candidates. This led to a peculiar situation where votes cast for Aditya-Muti were considered invalid, ultimately securing a 100% victory for the opposing pair, Erna Lisa Halaby and Wartono.
Said’s legal team maintains that he was not the target of the Bawaslu’s report and should not have been disqualified. Amar believes that Said should have been allowed to contest the elections independently, without a running mate.
"The plaintiff (Said Abdullah) was not the party reported to Bawaslu, and therefore, only his running mate, Aditya Muti, should have been investigated," Amar explained.
The case is ongoing, and readers can expect further updates in the coming days.
