Ahok still waiting for PDI-P nomination

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Ahok still waiting for PDI-P nomination

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya
The Jakarta Post

Jakarta | Mon, July 25 2016 | 04:14 pm

Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (center) and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri attend the inauguration of Djarot Saiful Hidayat (right) as Jakarta Deputy Governor in Jakarta, in December 2014. (JP/Awo Seto Wardhana )

Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is still waiting to be nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to run in the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election, even though he has the support from three political parties—Golkar Party, NasDem Party and Hanura Party.

Referring to the PDI-P’s long selection process that has reportedly nominated six candidates, Ahok said on Monday he might be the party’s last option, but he expressed his optimism that he would finally be nominated by the PDI-P.

“PDI-P nominees may be great. However, just like a couple, what’s the use of being in a relationship for a long time but have no plans of getting married? Even if I’m the last option [for the party] I can get ‘married’ with the PDI-P, it will be good,” Ahok said at City Hall.

Besides securing the support of the three political parties, Ahok is also backed by his group of volunteers, Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok). Previously, Teman Ahok had announced they had collected 1 million identity card-backed signatures of Jakartans required for Ahok to run as an independent.

However, Ahok seems to have backtracked on his initial decision to run independently after receiving the backing of political parties and considering verification of the signatures collected by Teman Ahok’s volunteers is a complicated process.

PDI-P politician Andreas Hugo Pareira said the party’s central executive board (DPP) had clustered their gubernatorial candidates.

The first cluster comprises six candidates who have followed the party’s recruitment process. The second cluster consists of party cadres who have good reputation and are widely supported by the public, such as Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat. Meanwhile, Ahok is purportedly included in a third cluster. (bbn)