T

he National Awakening Party (PKB) has said it will endorse businessman Sandiaga Uno and city secretary Saefullah as gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates in the 2017 election.

“We will declare our support in one or two days,” the PKB’s Jakarta chapter deputy chairman, Abdul Aziz, said on Monday evening.

Abdul said the decision to nominate both figures was a result of pressure from their supporters as well as at the suggestion of Muslim clerics. The PKB is an inclusive party but it has a large Muslim constituency.

He said the ulemas wanted Jakarta to be led by a modest leader. “They asked us to immediately announce our choice,” he said, adding that the party was inclined to support the pair.

Saefullah, who also chairs the Jakarta chapter of the country’s largest Muslim organization Nahdatul Ulama (NU), is well-known for being close to Islamic figures in Jakarta.

Abdul said the party hoped that the so-called Kinship Coalition would also endorse the couple.

“We will keep communicating and discussing with other parties,” he said.

Sandiaga is the only figure to have officially announced his nomination for the gubernatorial election other than incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. Ahok is backed by three political parties – the Golkar Party, Hanura Party and NasDem Party.

Sandiaga, the cofounder of investment company Saratoga Capital, is currently endorsed only by the Gerindra Party, the second-largest party after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Gerindra, however, controls only 15 seats on the city council, meaning it has to form an alliance with other parties to be able to field Sandiaga in 2017.

Gerindra and six other political parties are currently united under the Kinship Coalition to prepare candidates to fight against Ahok, who is still the frontrunner.

The other six parties comprise the PKB, PDI-P, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Democratic Party (PD), the United Development Party (PPP) and National Mandate Party (PAN). However, speculation is rife that the PDI-P is likely to defect and endorse Ahok instead.

Separately, Sandiaga claimed that the coalition was now looking for a running mate. “We have several names but Saefullah is the first to be discussed,” he said.

Sandiaga said it was because Saefullah had a good track record in the city administration. Besides Saefullah, assistant governor for tourism Sylviana Murni has also emerged as a deputy governor hopeful.

“The leaders in the coalition will meet again to verify and choose the candidates,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gerindra regional chairman board head Muhammad Taufik said each party would declare its official endorsement of Sandiaga.

When asked about Saefullah’s nomination, Ahok said the city secretary had outdone him in gathering support from district and subdistrict heads for the election.