TEMPO.CO, Surabaya – Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said she did not take seriously the recent rejection of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P)’s regional executive board (DPD) to support her in the city’s mayoral race next year.

Risma said she had made direct contact with PDI-P chair Megawati Soekarnoputri. “Mega still loves me,” she said at the Surabaya City Hall on Monday, September 8, 2014.

Earlier, East Java DPD PDI-P deputy chief Bambang Dwi Hartono alleged that Risma had been ambitiously seeking popularity as mayor and complained about the poor communication between the party’s DPD and her.

The rejection has triggered political tensions among other parties in Surabaya as to who would be mayoral candidates in the East Java’s capital’s next election for mayor.

Risma, meanwhile, said she had her own version of story on the refusal but declined to make it public. “If I reveal it, there will be chaos. Have sympathy for the people,” she said.

The mayor said she still had tons of work to do, among them the construction of infrastructure for the city’s streets and underground lines. Risma added she had to postpone her work for months in light of her planned resignation some time ago—which she canceled.

“I’m asking all media friends for a favor. This is related to the welfare of Surabaya people that I have to accomplish,” she said.

AGITA SUKMA LISTYANTI