You can pretty much call the winner of the 2017 Jakarta governor election now.
Ruling political party PDI-P has officially endorsed incumbent pair Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and Vice Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat in next year’s election, putting to rest months of rumors about whether the party is behind or against the current administration.
As such, Ahok-Djarot now have the backing of four political parties, with Golkar, Hanura, and Nasdem previously endorsing the pair. This equates to 52 seats in the Jakarta City Council, more than twice the 22 were needed for a party and/or a coalition to nominate a candidate.
Ahok and Djarot were announced as PDI-P’s choice last night at the party’s headquarters in Jalan Diponegoro, Central Jakarta. The two are expected to officially register as candidates in the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) when registrations open today.
Soon after receiving PDI-P’s endorsement, Ahok posted on Instagram asking his supporters not to accompany him en masse to register at the KPUD. He wrote that he would do it during work hours and that it would be better if his supporters watch the proceedings via online streaming to prevent traffic jams in the area.
KPUD’s registration for candidates ends on September 23. As of now, nobody has yet officially registered to challenge the incumbents. However, it is expected that businessman Sandiaga Uno will be Ahok’s major rival in the upcoming election. Sandiaga has the backing of the Gerindra party, among others, but political observers believe his inexperience in public office should make the election a walk in the park for Ahok.
