Ahok Claims Mega's Support After PDI-P Meeting
Jakarta. The capital's Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has claimed Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri would support him in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.
Basuki said that while PDI-P is yet to agree on a candidate via its internal party procedures, he believes the chairwoman will be on his side.
"Essentially, Megawati has preferred to support the incumbent," Basuki said at City Hall on Wednesday evening (17/08).
Bauki would be required to run with current deputy governor and PDI-P membership and organization chairman Djarot Saiful Hidayat.
“I had met with Megawati earlier … Megawati had stated she wanted me to run with Djarot,” he said.
Basuki had a closed meeting with the chairwoman during his visit to PDI-P's central leadership board in Jakarta, which was also attended by party secretary general Hasto Kristianto and Djarot.
The governor is confident he will skip the planned PDI-P’s fit and proper test.
“According to Megawati, I don’t have to go through the fit and proper test and I don’t have to register, as I was registered as [PDI-P's candidate] in 2012," he said.
Basuki had initially prepared to run as an independent candidate with Heru Budi Hartono, head of regional finance and asset management agency in the Jakarta administration.
PDI-P would be the fourth party to support Basuki, with Golkar, National Democrats (NasDem) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).
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