Banda Aceh – detikperistiwa.co.id
Arizal Mahdi, National Chairman of Relawan Peduli Rakyat Lintas Batas, has issued a strong rebuke against the actions of five village heads (keuchik) in Aceh who have filed a constitutional challenge against Article 115 paragraph (3) of Law No. 11 of 2006 concerning the Governance of Aceh (UUPA) at the Constitutional Court of Indonesia (MK). He asserted that the UUPA was the product of a long and painful struggle involving the lives and sacrifices of the Acehnese people, and should not be dismissed lightly.
The lawsuit was filed by five village heads—Venny Kurnia, Syukran, Sunandar, Badaruddin, and Kadimin—who are seeking to align the term of office for keuchik in Aceh with national standards, namely an eight-year term with the possibility of one re-election. Under the current provisions of the UUPA, keuchik serve a six-year term with a maximum of two terms.
Arizal Mahdi argued that the lawsuit runs contrary to the spirit and substance of the UUPA. “The Aceh Governance Law was born out of a long history of struggle by the Acehnese people in pursuit of justice and peace. Amending its provisions to serve the interests of a few, while disregarding the historical context of the struggle, represents a regrettable setback,” said Arizal, who is also widely recognised as a national anti-corruption activist.
The case was brought before the Constitutional Court by the village heads’ legal counsel, Febby Dewiyan Yayan, who maintained that the tenure provisions in the UUPA are no longer compatible with the current framework of national law, particularly following the enactment of Law No. 3 of 2024 on Villages. The applicants are urging the Constitutional Court to declare Article 115 paragraph (3) of the UUPA unconstitutional and no longer legally binding, in order to harmonise the tenure of village leaders across Indonesia.
During the preliminary hearing on 28 April 2025, presided over by Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani, the applicants’ counsel argued that the disparity in keuchik tenure leads to injustice and a breach of constitutional rights. They referred to Constitutional Court Decision No. 92/PUU-XXII/2024 as the legal basis for their argument.
In response, Arizal Mahdi reiterated that although the Village Law and Constitutional Court rulings apply nationally, Aceh holds special autonomy status protected by the peace accord and post-conflict political framework. “Aceh cannot be treated as an ordinary region. The UUPA is the result of political agreements and a recognition of Aceh’s special rights. Any proposed amendments must undergo a political process and thorough analysis—not be forced through a constitutional challenge that disregards the peace accord’s essence,” he asserted.
Arizal also reminded the public that the UUPA is a symbol of the blood, tears, and lives sacrificed by the Acehnese people in pursuit of justice and dignity. He urged all parties to protect the core principles and spirit of the UUPA and to refrain from reducing it to an object of short-term interests.
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