Gerindra Affirms That The Independent Candidate For The Jakarta Gubernatorial Election Is Not A KIM Plus Scenario

Daily Chairperson of the Gerindra DPP Sufmi Dasco Ahmad (Nailin/VOI)

JAKARTA - The daily chairman of the Gerindra Party DPP, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, emphasized that the Indonesia Maju Coalition (KIM) Plus has nothing to do with the independent candidate pairs, Dharma Pongrekun and Kun Wardana Abyoto, who passed the KPU registration to run for the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada.

Dasco emphasized that there is no scenario of an independent candidate designed by KIM Plus so that the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair does not fight the empty box. "In terms of scenarios, KIM Plus has not been formed for a long time. Meanwhile, the independent candidate list has been around for a long time. That's right," Dasco told reporters, Tuesday, August 20. Moreover, according to him, it is not the first time an independent candidate has been able to run in the DKI Jakarta Pilkada. He also respects the independent Paslon who has intended to run for the Jakarta gubernatorial election for a long time. "We are actually not surprised because in DKI this is not the first time an independent candidate can run," said Dasco.

"This independent candidate has indeed registered for a long time, that then this independent candidate can advance, this is democracy," he added.

The deputy chairman of the DPR also brought up one of his cadres, Ahmad Riza Patria, who had run as an independent candidate in the 2012 Jakarta Pilkada. At that time, said Dasco, Riza Patria ran with Hendarji Supandji.

"Judging from the history of the DKI Regional Head Election, one of our cadres, Mr. Riza Patria, has also stepped forward and qualified to fight as an independent candidate," he said.

It is known that as many as 12 political parties that are members of KIM Plus have declared the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair at the Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, yesterday afternoon. The twelve parties are Gerindra Party, PKB, PSI, PPP, NasDem, Perindo, PKS, PAN, Golkar, Garuda Party, Democratic Party, and Gelora Party. Meanwhile, the reading and reading pairs from individual channels, aka independent Dharma Pongrekun and Kun Wardhana (Dharma-Kun) were declared eligible for support to run in the 2024 Jakarta Governor and Deputy Governor Election (Pilgub).