Head of Jakarta Finance and Asset Management Board Heru Budi Hartono, who was appointed by Ahok to pair with him for the upcoming election, said both Teman Ahok and the political parties – Golkar Party, NasDem Party and Hanura Party – were crucial to helping Ahok contest the election.

“Teman Ahok and political parties are like two sides of a coin, inseparable. Each political party has its own volunteers,” Heru said at City Hall on Tuesday.

Teman Ahok has announced that its volunteers had managed to collect one million photocopies of Jakarta voters’ ID cards as proof of Ahok’s support base so that he could run on an independent ticket in the gubernatorial election.

Meanwhile, the three aforementioned political parties have also expressed their support of Ahok’s gubernatorial bid, regardless of whether he goes to polls via the independent path or through a political party nomination. Teman Ahok also said its members would let Ahok decide which path he would take.

Running with a political party nomination would also be good because it would ensure the governor had a strong political foundation to manage the government if he was elected, particularly in dealing with the Jakarta City Council, Heru said.  

However, Heru said he would also let Ahok decide whether he would stick it out as an independent candidate or accept a political party nomination.  (bbn)

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