Party Backing Ahok-Djarot Expects to Win Run-Off Election With 52 Percent of Votes
Jakarta. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, one of the political parties backing incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and his deputy Djarot Saiful Hidayat in the Jakarta election, said they expect to win the run-off election in April with 52.4 percent of the votes.
Based on results published by the Jakarta Election Commission (KPUD), Ahok and Djarot won 2,357,637 votes in the first round election on Feb. 15, or 42.96 percent of the total votes.
"We're targeting 52.4 percent [in the run-off election]. We only need 640,000 more votes," PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said at BeritaSatu Plaza in Central Jakarta on Tuesday (21/02).
Hasto said PDI-P is not underestimating Ahok's and Djarot's rivals, former education minister Anies Baswedan and businessman Sandiaga Uno, but is quietly confident Ahok and Djarot will prevail since the development programs they offer are "tried and tested."
"We're optimistic. We even won in Kepulauan Seribu [the archipelago of islands in the north of Jakarta where Ahok delivered his now infamous "blasphemy" speech]. The people have spoken, they know the real truth on this very sensitive issue," he said, referring to the blasphemy charge against Ahok which snowballed from the speech.
Hasto said the four political parties backing Ahok — PDI-P, Golkar, the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) — will keep lobbying the parties backing Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono — who came a distant last in the first round election according to unofficial counts, including the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP), to throw their support behind Ahok.
"We've met with them quite a few times. We hope at least PKB and maybe the other parties will join us," Hasto said.
Hasto also stressed how important volunteer groups have been to Ahok's and Djarot's success. "Volunteers can do many things that political parties cannot do," he said.
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