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Ahok pours scorn on #BalikinKTPGue
Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has mocked a Twitter backlash under the hashtag #BalikinKTPGue or #ReturnMyIDCard that trended on Thursday after the governor announced he would stand in next year's election with political-party support, renouncing previous plans to stand as an independent.
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Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama speaks to journalists on Wedneday after announcing his decision to run in next year's Jakarta gubernatorial election on a party-political ticket. (The Jakarta Post/rez)
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akarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has mocked a Twitter backlash under the hashtags #BalikinKTPGue or #ReturnMyIDCard that trended on Thursday after the governor announced he would stand in next year's election with political-party support, renouncing previous plans to stand as an independent.
"They didn't submit their actual ID cards to me, just the copies. They've still got their ID cards - what exactly am I supposed to return?" Ahok asked at City Hall on Friday.
More than one million photocopies of identity cards were collected by Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok), the governor’s main supporters group, after Ahok announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate.
But on Wednesday, he revealed that he would in fact stand on a political-party ticket, arguing that the independent path was "too complicated", especially as concerned verification of the vote pledges.
Ahok dismissed his critics, and said he was not bothered if they refused to vote for him as a result of his decision; to win the election, he insisted, is not his main purpose.
"I'm not just running for governor for the sake of it - I want to be governor to work for the public. If Jakartans don't want to vote for me, that's OK," Ahok said, adding he would take up employment at a private company should he fail to win election. (bbn)
