Your comments on the decision of Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki âAhokâ Tjahaja Purnama to quit the Gerindra Party as he could not accept the partyâs attempt to end direct elections for governors, mayors and regents:I have to say that he is a real politician
strong>Your comments on the decision of Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama to quit the Gerindra Party as he could not accept the party's attempt to end direct elections for governors, mayors and regents:
I have to say that he is a real politician. He believes what he thinks is right and sticks with it without worrying about losing his political career.
Changing the system after losing the election is not for the good of the people, but merely for the benefit of certain morons.
John Berkhmans
That's how the true gentleman has to react ' nothing more! Salute!
Eddy Arjuna Zainy
Ahok was from the Golkar Party when he became a regent, then switched to Gerindra to get on the ticket with Jokowi for the Jakarta job. Now he has found an excuse to quit Gerindra.
It looks like Ahok has a problem with choosing a good party. If he denies that he has this problem, it means he is the same opportunist as all the other politicians. If Ahok was a faithful and principled man he would have defended his ideas within his party instead of switching parties again, which is a too easy way out.
Makamba Tecumseh
Hit the road Ahok! Then Gerindra has no one left to show to the people. Gerindra is the losing party here, not the other way around.
Pedro Gonzales
Gerindra Party should make a parody play in theaters: not on the obvious Indonesian political stage.
Greg Daru
If the concept of an elected democracy is based on 'one person, one vote', then it is a contradiction in itself to split the makeup of any lawmaking assemblies between public voting and closed-door horse trading. Ahok speaks for many ' raise your voices, people of Indonesia, because the 'vested interests' are still trying to control your lives.
NSH
Good on you, Ahok! God bless you and the people of Indonesia.
Iau Aro
Wow, a knife in the heart of Gerindra. As always you are so truthful in your words, Pak Ahok.
Alex Gardner
I'm sure a lot of people kind of expected this to happen. I mean, why would a person like Ahok want to associate himself with a political party like Gerindra after what happened during and after the election?
Frid Gejug
I see this as poetic justice, as I feel sure that after the presidential elections Ahok didn't want anything to do Gerindra whatsoever. Ahok's timing is impeccable. He must be pissing himself with laughter right now!
Bay V
Congratulations to Ahok. You did the right thing. You walked the talk and followed your own beliefs and principles. The majority of Indonesian people wants direct elections to choose their own leaders ' we are together.
Malam
I hope we as citizens aren't dead meat with respect to this upcoming bill. The councilors are going to railroad everyone else since this is in their best interest.
I mean, really, have we now forgotten that in the past there was a huge amount of money being moved around as part of money politics in the House of Representatives and the Regional Legislative Councils? And this bill is supposed to remove 'the potential money politics involved in elections'?
Kortslete
It is a wise decision. Along the way, in the heat of the election, Gerindra had lost it all.
It is no longer a forward-thinking party, or perhaps it actually never was, and it seems to have become a power-hungry party that stops at nothing. Ahok does not belong there; he belongs to the Indonesian people. Let Gerindra be forgotten, so we can move on.
Sudarshana Chakra
Ahok is Gerindra's treasure. People believe him more than they do others in the party.
Greg Daru
Ahok is a man of principle, he doesn't give a damn about Gerindra. He'll get out of the party sooner or later.
Snap
Instead of Ahok respecting the party's stance, perhaps it should be the other way around with the party respecting Ahok.
He is by far a much more intelligent man then their current leader and has shown that he is for building a better Indonesia, unlike the current leader, who only wants to tear it down. Ahok will stand his ground. This I am confident of. The party will be the one that gets hurt, not Ahok.
X Simaging
Ahok does what's right for Indonesia and not what's right for his personal interest. Now we see the true colors of Gerindra, a party that will implode without Ahok.
Abdul Malik
Ahok is entitled to his opinions and views. Just because he's a member of a party doesn't mean he has to be a slave to its will, does it?
Alex Gardner
I always wondered why a guy like Ahok who seemed to have good intentions was with the Red-and-White Coalition in the first place. Ahok is more like Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo than Prabowo.
It seemed strange. Now finally we see that he's had enough. Ahok and Jokowi are the type of guys we need running this country. Will they always succeed? No. But if they can't do it then no-one can. We're getting a glimpse of what life would have been like had Prabowo won. Gerindra is even publicly threatening its most popular politician.
Jbl Nor
Of course the old system is corrupt. That's why it was thrown away, now they want to bring it back? Seriously Indonesia, you've seen such progress this year only to almost be taken back 50 years.
In Canctus
I was somewhat shocked at reading the screaming headlines on the front page of your paper on Sept. 11: 'Ahok quits'¦' For a moment, I thought that he resigned from the deputy mayor's position. Luckily for Jakartans, he is still around. We could rarely find such an able and effective leader.
D. Chandramouli
Jakarta
Ahok, heretofore the only real man with sound morals, integrity and guts in Gerindra, has left the party. One enormous gain for Ahok; one devastating and irreplaceable loss for Gerindra. Bravo, Ahok, God bless you! If only more of our politicians were as honest and courageous as you.
Tami Koestomo
Bogor, West Java
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