Independent candidate secures minimum support

Economist and independent candidate Faisal Basri has secured the minimum support required to run for Jakarta governor.

“As of today I have secured more than 407,000 copies of Jakarta voters’ ID, surpassing the minimum support regulated by regional law. I believe the number is still growing,” Faisal told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Regional law stipulates that an independent candidate must collect identification cards belonging to at least four percent of the Jakarta electorate to be able contest the election, which is expected to be held later this year.

Faisal said that he aimed to obtain more than 500,000 ID copies by Feb. 8, the date when he will officially register as a gubernatorial candidate.

“I’ve been collecting support for four months and I did not give my supporters anything to get their IDs,” he said, adding that his team had also secured Rp 2 billion (US$224,000) from supporters to fund his campaign.

“This support shows that there still is a place for those who want to practice politics with dignity,” he said. (swd)