"Today, I have prepared the letter and will send it to the party`s leadership council also today. I am informing that I decided to quit Gerindra Party," Ahok said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputy Governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok will send a letter to Gerindra informing about his decision to quit the party.

"Today, I have prepared the letter and will send it to the partys leadership council also today. I am informing that I decided to quit Gerindra Party," Ahok stated here on Wednesday.

He explained that his decision to leave the party arose from his disagreement with the partys proposal regarding a bill on indirect regional head elections. Since the reform era, Indonesia has been holding direct presidential, regional, and legislative elections.

But, a bill is now being tabled to amend the election system, according to which the regional heads will be elected by regional legislators rather than being directly elected by the people.

Ahok stated that he was disappointed with the political parties and vowed to focus on implementing his tasks to govern Jakarta.

Ahok said he was not worried about Gerindra labeling him as ungrateful as the party had promoted him to the deputy gubernatorial seat during the direct gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial elections in Jakarta in 2012.

Besides this, Ahok pointed out that he was promoted not only by Gerindra but also the PDIP during the direct elections.

The members of the House of Representatives (DPR) are divided over the proposal to elect regional heads indirectly.

The All-Indonesia District Government Association (APKASI), however, opposes the proposal to return regional head elections to the local legislative councils (DPRD), arguing that it runs contrary to the mandate of reform movements.

"Regional head elections that involve the peoples direct participation are one of the fruits of the 1998 reform struggle. Therefore, the direct regional head elections, which are more transparent, must not be returned to the DPRD," APKASI General Chairman Isran Noor remarked here on Sunday.

Returning the direct regional head elections to the DPRD amounts to depriving the people of their political rights, he claimed.

If regional heads are elected by the DPRD, they will ponder over ways to reciprocate the favors of the local legislators who have elected them, and thus, they will hardly work towards the welfare of the people, he added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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