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PDI-P opens possibility to leave ‘Kinship Coalition’ for Ahok
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Gembong Warsono, chairman of the Jakarta gubernatorial candidate selection team of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), speaks to journalists. (tribunnews.com/Valdy Arief)
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espite successfully forging the Kinship Coalition at Jakarta's City Hall, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is now considering leaving it to support the encumbant governor in an upcoming election.
The chairman of the PDI-P’s Jakarta gubernatorial candidate selection team, Gembong Warsono, said the party was open to the possibility of supporting Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in the 2017 gubernatorial election, a move that will definitely break up the coalition.
“Talking about possibilities, it is possible for us to leave the coalition if the party’s central executive board (DPP) orders us to do so. However, the DPD will try to deliver the residents’ and coalition’s aspiration to the DPP,” Gembong told The Jakarta Post on Friday in Jakarta.
Previously in July, the acting chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the PDI-P, Bambang DH, said 80 percent of PDI-P voters objected to Ahok enjoying a prolonged leadership. After establishing the Kinship Coalition with six other parties on Aug. 8, Bambang pointed out Ahok’s poor performance.
Separately, the chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the United Development Party (PPP), Abdul Azis, said he hopes that the PDI-P will stay in the coalition to support an alternative candidate to compete against Ahok in the election.
“The PPP has agreed to not support Ahok. If the PDI-P decides to support Ahok, we won’t follow them. However, if the PDI-P appoints another candidate besides Ahok, we will surely follow them,” Abdul said.
The party has asked the PDI-P to bring Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini into the election. However, other candidates from the PDI-P, such as deputy governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, would be fine for the party since it officially only rejected Ahok's leadership, he said. (ags)
