Ridwan Kamil Hopes Not To Fight Empty Boxes In The Jakarta Gubernatorial Election

The candidate pair for Governor and Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ridwan Kamil (left) and Suswono gave a speech after being declared by 12 political parties at the Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, Monday (19/8/2024). ANTARA/Rio Feisal.

JAKARTA - The candidate for the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ridwan Kamil or RK, still hopes not to fight the empty box after being declared 12 political parties to contest the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada with Suswono.

"We hope that Jakarta residents will be given the opportunity to give an assessment to those who will contest. The more there are, the more, the better actually," said Ridwan Kamil, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 19.

Therefore, RK was reluctant to answer questions from journalists regarding optimism in winning the Jakarta Pilkada with the support of the dozens of parties.

"I don't want to precede the KPU's decision (General Election Commission) because as of today the processes who register to be decided, passed, and officially are still in the KPU process. I hope there are no empty boxes," he said.

Kang Emil also responded to the PDI-P's challenge to fight the empty box in the Jakarta Pilkada.

"All instruments are democratic. I was the mayor, his partner was eight. When I was governor of West Java, his partner was four. At the time of the second pair, also democracy. At the time of fighting there was independence, like the city of Bandung, as well as democracy. In the end, there was a box that was empty, it was also a rule, a part that was agreed upon by our democracy, "he explained.

According to RK, whether there are many Jakarta Pilkada participants, the task with Suswono when the KPU has determined it as a participant is to convince Jakarta residents with vision and mission.

"Hopefully it can be accepted. Let us communicate, learn to love this new region, to provide understood solutions," he said.

Previously, as many as 12 political parties officially signed a certificate of support to carry Ridwan Kamil-Suswono as a candidate pair in the 2024 Jakarta Governor and Deputy Governor election.

The parties are the Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party, the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party, the Indonesian Solidarity Party, the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party, the Garuda Party, the Gelora Party, the Perindo Party, and the United Development Party.