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PKS fancies Risma for Jakarta election
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Surabaya Mayor Tri "Risma" Rismaharini joins city workers in cleaning the sidewalks of garbage in the Jembatan Merah area of Surabaya in East Java on July 18. (Antara Foto/Didik Suhartono)
T
he Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has its eye on Surabaya Mayor Tri " Risma " Rismaharini as a potential candidate it may support in Jakarta's gubernatorial election next year, a PKS politician said on Saturday.
Risma has the qualities that the PKS is looking for, PKS election campaign division head Agung Setiarso said, highlighting Risma's achievements and her non-power-thirsty attitude.
"Risma fulfills our criteria. The more she refused [to be nominated as a candidate to be Jakarta governor], the more sexy, more expensive she gets and we like her even more," he said in a discussion as reported by kompas.com.
The PKS was more interested in supporting a potential leader who did not beg for positions, just like Risma, Agung said, praising the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician.
The party was ready to throw its official support behind Risma for the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election slated to take place next year. However, the PKS is still waiting for a green light from the PDI-P, Agung said.
As a ruling party that has secured a gubernatorial ticket, the PDI-P had not yet made an official announcement about who it would nominate for the capital's top post. The PDI-P may nominate Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, some analysts said, but Risma is also in consideration following rising support for her.
The PKS had recently joined the "Kinship Coalition" with the PDI-P, the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), Gerindra and the United Development Party (PPP) in a move to find a pair of candidates to run for governor and deputy governor in next year's election. (rin)
