Democratic Party's Ruhut Sitompul to Resign From House
Jakarta. Democratic Party lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul said on Monday (17/10) that he will resign from the legislature after was appointed campaign spokesman for incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.
The decision was made after the Democratic Party's monitoring board probed Ruhut for allegedly opposing the party's policy to support the candidacy of Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Sylviana Murni in the country's most prestigious local election.
"At the end of the recess period [in November], I will resign from the House of Representatives," Ruhut said.
He said he hopes the Democratic Party will not strip him of his membership following his decision to support Ahok and Djarot.
"I am willing to leave [the House], although I have two or three years left. This is for the sake of Ahok's victory," Ruhut said.
He was earlier discharged as Democratic Party spokesman after chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accused him of not representing the party's official position on many strategic issues.
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