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Dems say Yusril is Ahok’s strongest contender
The Democratic Party has said Yusril Ihza Mahendra could be a strong contender against Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in the 2017 gubernatorial election.
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Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (left) is seen in a composite photo beside former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihaza Mahendra. Ahok and Yusril have both stated their intention to contest the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. (tribunnews.com/-)
T
he Democratic Party has said Yusril Ihza Mahendra could be a strong contender against Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in the city's 2017 gubernatorial election.
“Professor Yusril is one of the options to challenge Ahok,” the chairman of the Democrats' selection team for its Jakarta gubernatorial candidate, Lazarus Simon Ishaq, said in Jakarta on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.
Yusril is a gubernatorial hopeful who is frequently quoted by the media on ideas to solve various problems in the city and he has adequate experience in the government as a state secretary and a law and human rights minister, said Lazarus.
Jakarta is one of the provinces set to elect its next governor in the simultaneous regional elections in February 2017.
Ahok, who has declared himself an independent, is still the strongest candidate although the latest survey showed his electability declined after he was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as a witness regarding alleged irregularities in land acquisition by the Jakarta administration.
Kompas daily reported on Monday that Ahok’s electability declined to 45.4 percent in April from 51.8 percent in March. The daily quoted the results of a survey conducted by the Public Opinion and Research Discussion Group (Kedai Kopi) that surveyed 400 respondents in 40 subdistricts across the capital from April 18 to 21.
Lazarus, however, said his party had not made a decision about the gubernatorial candidate it would support to run in the 2017 election. Ten hopefuls are being considered by the party chaired by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Meanwhile, Yusril is one of three candidates who have been selected by the Gerindra Party, along with businessman Sandiaga Uno and former deputy defense minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
Gerindra’s Jakarta chapter chairman M. Taufik said the three figures were chosen after the selection team considered their respective track records and public responses to their potential candidacy.
Taufik said his party would give the three candidates one month before picking one of them to contest the election. “The party's Central Board will make a decision on who will be selected as the party candidate,” he added. (bbn)
