“Be patient, PKS, it is as if we are hunting for positions. Do you think positions can be portioned?” Taufik said, as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday.

The PKS, Gerindra, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democrat Party are in a coalition to support the duo of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, both Gerindra executives, to run in the 2019 presidential election. 

When Sandiaga Uno ran in the 2017 Jakarta election alongside Anies Baswedan, the two were backed by Gerindra and the PKS. 

However, according to Taufik, that does not mean that the PKS is entitled to claim the deputy governor position left vacant by Sandiaga. How the position is filled, Taufik said, should follow the prevailing rules. Both parties should propose a name from among their own ranks as a deputy governor nominee.

“It depends on the decision of the city council,” he said. 

Taufik himself is the deputy speaker of the Jakarta Council. Several Gerindra executives also have mentioned his name as a strong candidate to succeed Sandiaga in City Hall.

Taufik is also sure that Gerindra will choose him as their candidate when the time comes.

“It was just yesterday that Sandiaga resigned and proceeded to the General Elections Commission,” Taufik said.

Previously, PKS president Sohibul Iman said his party should have big chance to fill the deputy governor position, as they had let Prabowo chose a vice-presidential candidate from Gerindra.

“[Gerindra] should give priority to a PKS [cadre] to become the deputy governor,” Sohibul said. (gis/ahe)

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