Jakarta City Hall Flooded by Visitors, Flowers in Support of Ahok
Jakarta. More than 500 visitors congregated on the terrace outside City Hall in Central Jakarta on Wednesday morning (26/04) to meet with incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, whose term in office ends in October.
The influx of well-wishers has caused confusion at City Hall, as officials were unprepared for the sheer number of people, who started arriving at 5 a.m. They flocked together to take photos and shake Ahok's hand upon his arrival.
The courtyard has also been filled with flower boards, which started arriving on Monday.
Senior city hall official Muhammad Mawardi said the arrival of so many visitors has caught them off guard.
"I did not see it coming. Usually there are not as many [visitors]. We eventually put out chairs for the photo shoots," Mawardi said.
He added that Ahok did not ask the people to come, but that they did so spontaneously, to express their appreciation for the governor, who lost the second round of the Jakarta gubernatorial election last week.
However, he anticipates more visitors until the end of Ahok's term.
"We anticipate seeing many more residents coming to support Mr. Basuki. If it will be this many, we will manage them," Mawardi said.
Among the supporters was 57-year-old Hermina Samosir, who admitted to having traveled all the way from Medan, North Sumatra, just to meet Ahok.
"I did not expect this many people. I just wanted to meet Mr. Basuki. I couldn't take any pictures [with him], and I have to go home to Medan tomorrow," she said.
Hermina said she idolizes the governor for his good performance in office. She lived in Jakarta for 25 years before moving to Medan in 2006.
"I just recently visited Jakarta again and I saw that everything is clean and tidy. […] I am pleased that since Ahok became governor, all parts of the city improved. I saw his [good] performance," she said before leaving City Hall.
Watch Indonesia Highlights at 8 p.m. tonight on the Jakarta Globe News Channel and Facebook Live to find out more about the support for Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.
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