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Ahok's son exercises right to vote for first time
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Voting newbie -- Nicholas Sean Purnama (right), the eldest son of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, casts his vote for the first time ever in Jakarta’s election on Wednesday.
(JP/Nurul Fitri Ramadhani)
N
icholas Sean Purnama, the eldest son of incumbent governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, drew considerable public attention in Jakarta’s election when he appeared at a polling station Wednesday to cast his vote for the first time.
Walking to Polling Station 54 at the Pantai Mutiara residential complex in Pluit, North Jakarta, together with his father and mother, Veronica Tan, the 18-year-old university student entered the polling booth holding a ballot emblazoned with the pictures of his father and other gubernatorial candidates.
Nicholas’ appearance at the polling station attracted many people -- mostly residents of the elite housing complex that were registered to vote at this particular polling station.
“I wish my father wins [the election],” said Nicholas, who is one of thousands of first-time voters registered in this year’s Jakarta election.
Ahok is fighting for a second term in office despite his ongoing trial over alleged blasphemy.
Nicholas, a student at the University of Indonesia’s School of Medicine in Depok, West Java, said he did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps as a bureaucrat.
“No, no, I just want to be a doctor,” he said.
Ahok and his family came to the polling station at around 9:40 a.m. After voting, Ahok went to the private residence of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri in Kebagusan, South Jakarta, for lunch, before visiting his campaign headquarters Rumah Lembang in Menteng, Central Jakarta, to watch quick counts of the election. (ebf)
