andung Mayor Ridwan Kamil and Tasikmalaya Regent Uu Ruzhanul Ulam received the official endorsement of their four supporting parties on Sunday.
Ridwan and Uu visited the central executive board (DPP) offices of the Hanura Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Nasdem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) in Jakarta to pick up the official letters declaring the parties’ backing for the pair in the West Java gubernatorial election.
PPP had announced its support for Ridwan back in October 2017, but the question of his running mate had been a sticking point among the four-party coalition.
Following a meeting between the parties’ leaderships on Saturday night, PPP member and two-term Tasikmalaya Regent Uu was finally named as the deputy governor candidate, according to PPP chairman Romahamurmuziy.
“All the DPPs agreed to leave the decision to Emil [Ridwan’s nickname], and he firmly declared ‘I want Uu as deputy governor,’” he told The Jakarta Post.
The PKB leadership had said last month that it did not want Uu on the ticket, because he was a PPP member, but Romahamurmuziy said a compromise had been reached.
“Because these are concurrent regional elections, there are a few regions where we help each other,” he said. “So let’s say here the PKB supports Uu, but in another place, the PPP will support the PKB.”
Ridwan said his and Uu’s executive experience would be their main selling point in the gubernatorial race.
“I have a lot of experience in taking care of innovation and urban areas, while Uu has experience in taking care of rural area,” he said. (kmt)
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