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Ahok 'met Megawati to ask for Djarot's hand'
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Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (left) and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat pose in front of a picture of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during Djarot’s inauguration at City Hall on Dec. 17, 2014. (JP/Awo) (JP/Awo)
J
akarta Governor Basuki " Ahok " Tjahaja Purnama says his meeting with Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri on Wednesday was to ask her permission to run in the next year's regional election with his current Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.
"I didn't ask for the party's support, I only asked for Djarot [as a running mate]. It's up to the party to let me run with Djarot," he told journalists at City Hall on Friday, denying reports he had met Megawati to ask for her support in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.
In the meeting, Ahok claimed that Megawati had agreed to let him run with Djarot in the 2017 election, adding, however, that the party would go through the formal procedures before announcing its candidates.
Despite previously declaring that he would run with Jakarta Financial and Asset Management Board head Heru Budi Hartono, Ahok said he wanted Djarot to remain as his deputy.
He praised Djarot as a good partner; the latter took up the deputy governorship in 2014. He was previously mayor of Blitar in East Java.
“It’s more convenient to work with Djarot. Heru is still young, and we need young and qualified civil servants like him,” Ahok said praising Djarot as an honest and scrupulous politician.
Previously, PDI-P central executive board member Andreas Pareira said Ahok's visit to Megawati was to request the party's support. (rin)
