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Gerindra's Christian, Chinese wings support Jokowi-Kalla
The Great Indonesia Christians (KIRA) and the Great Indonesia Chinese Association (PETIR), two wing organizations of the Gerindra Party, defected from the party on Tuesday declaring instead their support for presidential candidate Joko âJokowiâ Widodo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla
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he Great Indonesia Christians (KIRA) and the Great Indonesia Chinese Association (PETIR), two wing organizations of the Gerindra Party, defected from the party on Tuesday declaring instead their support for presidential candidate Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla.
Hashim Djojohadikusumo, presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's younger brother who is a Christian, is the chairman of KIRA's board of advisors.
'We are ready to urge our 50,000 members to support Jokowi-Kalla, because we are concerned about our democracy. We were supposed to implement good democracy in the Old Order, New Order and Reform eras,' KIRA chairman Lintong Manurung said as quoted by tribunnews.com during the declaration event in Jakarta.
Lintong said Jokowi's leadership would not be disappointing because he had the character of a visionary leader, as well as representing people who were poor and had fallen behind. He said he could not find those characteristics in Prabowo, because the Gerindra Party chief patron had never been poor.
'Pak Prabowo will never know what it feels to be poor, because he has never felt hungry and he doesn't know what it feels to be penniless. Pak Prabowo eats at the warteg [food stall] only for show,' he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Lintong added that all the KIRA and PETIR members were ready to accept any consequence from Gerindra for supporting Jokowi-Kalla, because the party's officials had known about the decision.
'There will be a risk, because most of us are also involved in the party's board of management,' he said.
Meanwhile, PETIR founder Nanek Nandwani said the declaration of support for Jokowi-Kalla came after they were disappointed at the leadership style practiced within the Gerindra Party.
'We have just seen the real nature of our leader, that's why we have removed our support,' she said.
Members of the organizations who attended the event changed their white shirts that read 'KIRA' with the Gerindra Party logo to Jokowi's iconic checkered shirts.
With the latest addition of the Democratic Party to Prabowo's camp, the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa ticket that has been allocated number '1' on the ballot papers, is now supported by the Dems, Gerindra, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Justice Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which secured 353, or 56.19 percent of the total 560 seats at the House of Representatives. (gda)
