FINALLY, LARGEST POLITICAL PARTIES BACK AHOK

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 21 (Antara) - Indonesia will see a lively contest in the regional head elections in February next year with 101 regions simultaneously electing their heads in seven provinces, 76 districts and 18 municipal cities.          During the simultaneous elections, these regions will elect seven governors, 76 district heads and 18 mayors. The most interesting among these will be the joust for the office of the Jakarta governor.          Besides being contesting in the capital city of the country, Jakarta's incumbent Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) and his Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat have gathered support and will be nominated by the two largest political parties, the PDIP and the Golkar, besides with the Hanura and NasDem.          The scenario has taken an interesting turn because Ahok had previously voiced his intention to run as an independent candidate in the gubernatorial election. He is a former cadre of the Gerindra (Greater Indonesia Movement) Party which nominated him to the post of deputy governor on the same ticket on which was Joko Widodo (Jokowi), nominated by the PDIP in the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2012.