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Parties deny withdrawing support for Ahok
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Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (center) and representatives of Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok), the Golkar Party, the NasDem Party and the Hanura Party pose for a photograph after Ahok announced that he would run in the Jakarta gubernatorial election on a political party ticket. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he Golkar, NasDem and Hanura parties have denied that any of them had withdrawn support for incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in his reelection bid in 2017.
The denial was made by representatives of the three political parties as reported by kompas.com on Tuesday.
The chairman of Hanura’s Jakarta chapter, Dadang Rusdiana, said the decision to support Ahok was made after a comprehensive study and it was unlikely that any of the three parties would withdraw their support.
He was responding to a statement by acting chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) Jakarta chapter, Bambang DH, that one of the political parties could withdraw from the coalition and join the PDI-P-led coalition.
(Read also : Jokowi warned against risky independent path: Ahok)
Golkar’s Jakarta chairman Fayakhun Andriadi also assured that supporting Ahok was the final decision of the three political parties.
He said their support was made official through a written declaration signed by the three parties. “It is an era of making sudden maneuvers like withdrawing support. Jakartans are smart; they know that such move would be unethical,” he added.
Meanwhile, NasDem deputy chairman Suryani Chaniago said the party would not withdraw its support for Ahok, adding that the coalition of the three parties was solid, while another coalition led by PDI-P was questionable in solidity.
She hinted that another party from PDI-P-led Family Coalition could join the three parties to support Ahok. The Family Coalition comprises the PDI-P, the Gerindra Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Democratic Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and National Mandate Party (PAN). (bbn)
