I think we share an idealist attitude to make the country better."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Presidential aspirant from the ruling Democrat Party Dino Patti Djalal said Jokowi and Ahok are allies as agents of change with the aim of improving Indonesia.
"Jokowi and Ahok are not rivals; rather, they have been able to restore public confidence in democracy. To me, they are allies," he stated during a visit to the headquarters of Indonesian national news agency Antara here on Wednesday.
Dino, who is currently hosting the Indonesian ambassador to the United States, pointed out that he did not care about their political parties, ideologies, or backgrounds so long as they fought for the countrys improvement: "They are my allies, including Jakarta Governor Jokowi (Joko Widodo) and Vice Governor Ahok (Basuki Tjahaja Purnama).
"I have met and talked with Jokowi. I think we share an idealist attitude to make the country better. He (Jokowi) started out as the city mayor of Solo, whereas I come from a bureaucratic background," he remarked.
Dino said Indonesia now needs to be elevated from good to great levels.
"What we need now is no longer transformation but elevation. We must move on. To achieve it, we must not only set targets but must also change our mindset," he commented.
He pointed out that Indonesia has now become a developed nation, with its economy growing six percent and its condition appearing the most stable in the region.
However, Indonesia must not only be a market but must also become a producer and a food-storage powerhouse in the region.
Jokowi, who represents the opposition Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), has so far been ranked first for president in many surveys.
Together with Ahok, representing opposition party Gerindra, he has been able to make remarkable changes in the capital city, including normalizing dams, relocating street vendors and introducing health care and education insurance systems.
(Reporting by Azi Fitriyanti/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
