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Ahok insists leave requirement is unconstitutional
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Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama prepares to attend a court hearing on Wednesday at the Constitutional Court to explain the reasons of his judicial review motion to revise a leave requirement as stipulated in the Regional Elections Law. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
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akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has said a leave requirement for incumbent regional leaders—governors, mayors and regents—during a campaign period was against the constitutional rights of those who seek reelection.
Ahok told a Constitutional Court hearing on Wednesday that he filed the judicial review as head of the Jakarta administration that was elected democratically in 2012.
“As a plaintiff, I have the right as stated in the Constitution to fully govern the Jakarta administration for a five-year term,” Ahok said.
In his judicial review motion, he demanded the court to revise Article 70 of the Regional Elections Law that requires incumbent governors, deputy governor, mayors, deputy mayors, regents and deputy regents to take leave during the campaign period if they sought reelection.
He argued that the law should have given the incumbents the freedom to take or not take leave.
Ahok, who is seeking reelection in the 2017 gubernatorial election, has planned not to take leave, arguing that he needs to closely look into the deliberation of the 2017 city budget bill that will occur during the campaign period that the Jakarta General Elections Commission decided on from Oct. 26 to Feb. 11.
Ahok insisted he had to finish his tenure for five years, which ends in October next year. He said if he had to take leave for four months, he would not end his tenure exactly five years. (wnd/bbn)
