Author: Nurdiansyah Abdusamad
(Alumnus of Muhammadiyah University Yogyakarta)
As is known, the term of office for regional leaders, including Governors, Vice Governors, Regents, Vice Regents, Mayors, and Deputy Mayors elected in the 2018 election will end in December 2023.
According to Article 201 paragraph 5 of Law No. 10/2016 on Regional Elections: “Governors and Vice Governors, Regents and Vice Regents, as well as Mayors and Deputy Mayors elected in the 2018 election, serve until 2023.”
However, in reality, the regional leaders elected in the 2018 election were inaugurated in 2019, so their term of office will end in 2024.
Based on this, regional leaders who feel aggrieved filed lawsuits related to Article 201 paragraph (5) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 10 of 2016 concerning Regional Elections to the Constitutional Court (MK).
Marten Taha is one of the six regional leaders who filed a lawsuit.
With the first hearing on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Marten is confident that what he is suing will be accepted by the Constitutional Court.
Not without reason, Marten considers that what he is suing is in accordance with the legal regulations, that his term will end in 2024 because he was inaugurated in 2019.
On every occasion when he talks about the decision of the Constitutional Court, he is always confident that his lawsuit will be accepted by the Constitutional Court. And that strong belief proved true after the Constitutional Court’s decision accepted the two-term mayor’s lawsuit.
Article 201 paragraph 5 of the Regional Election Law reads, ‘Governors and Vice Governors, Regents and Vice Regents, as well as Mayors and Deputy Mayors elected and inaugurated in 2018, serve until 2023, and Governors and Vice Governors, Regents and Vice Regents as well as Mayors and Deputy Mayors elected in the 2018 election, whose inauguration was held in 2019, hold office for 5 years from the date of inauguration, as long as it does not exceed 1 month before the simultaneous national vote in 2024,'” said MK Chairman, Dr. Suhartoyo.
Finally, the Mayor who has a strong conviction will complete his duties until June 2, 2024, alongside the Deputy Mayor of Gorontalo, Ryan F. Kono (Sun). (*)
