Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent in the predominantly Muslim country, sparked uproar among Muslim groups after he made a comment about a verse in the Quran during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.

On Nov. 4, over 100,000 people, mostly from various Muslim organizations, including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), swarmed onto Jakarta's streets to demand that the police prosecute Ahok.

In a press conference on Wednesday, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) head, Comr. Gen. Ari Dono Sukmanto, said the police’s decision to name Ahok a suspect had been made after they learned the outcome of a case screening on Tuesday regarding the allegations against him.

"Although there are different opinions among police investigators, most agreed that the case should be settled in an open trial," he said, adding that Ahok was accused of violating Article 156 of the Criminal Code regarding blasphemy in reference to Article 28 (2) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law. 

Ari said the police had barred Ahok from traveling overseas but did not mention whether they would detain him during the investigation.

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A number of Muslim figures have accused law enforcers of protecting the governor. Ahok, who previously served as deputy Jakarta governor, replaced his former boss, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, after the latter won the presidential election in 2014.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, however, strongly denied the accusations and said the police would continue the legal process.

“We are ready to anticipate risks [from the ongoing legal process],” Tito said on Wednesday, reiterating his commitment to continuing the case in a fair and transparent manner.

Together we can: Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (right), running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat (second right) and their campaign spokesperson Ruhut Sitompul (third right) woo their supporters at their campaign headquarters in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, soon after the National Police named Ahok as suspect in a blasphemy case. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)

Ahok, meanwhile, called on his supporters to accept the police’s decision, saying he would use all available legal means to challenge the decision, including by filing a pretrial motion.

“I’m calling on my supporters to accept me being a suspect. I believe that the police are professional,” he said at his campaign headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

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Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat, the incumbent deputy governor, will compete against two candidate pairs — Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni pair — in next year’s gubernatorial election.  

Political parties see Jakarta as a crucial area to gauge their influence and popularity ahead of the upcoming legislative and presidential elections.  

Jakarta General Elections Commission chairman Sumarno, meanwhile, said the commission would not drop Ahok as a candidate unless a court found him guilty.

“The candidate can still continue his campaign activities and join other upcoming election procedures until voting day,” he said. (cor, cal, mos)