TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sandiaga Uno, deputy chairman of the advisory council at the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, said that Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto had given him a challenge by approving his nomination as a Jakarta gubernatorial candidate.

“For me, it’s a challenge, and he [Prabowo] has his own considerations of approving me [to be a gubernatorial candidate]. He wants to see us working hard for the people,” Sandiaga said on the sidelines of the commemoration of Gerindra’s 8^th anniversary on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

Sandiaga revealed that Prabowo had instructed him to greet Jakarta residents within the next six months to find solutions to the city problems.

“Jakarta has various economic problems, such as layoffs and price increase. We need to provide solutions directly,” he said.

Speaking at the commemoration of Gerindra’s anniversary on Saturday morning, Prabowo addressed Sandiaga with “Governor”. Sandiaga responded to the address by saying, “The statement was a call on us to work harder for people in Jakarta."

Earlier, reports said that Sandiaga would run as a candidate in the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. He will compete with current Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who was nominated by Gerindra.

Images expressing supports for Sandiaga occurred on social media. Some people called themselves “Sandiaga Uno’s friends” with a jargon “For Equal Jakarta”. Some people put Sandiaga Uno’s picture with Prosperous Justice Party’s (PKS) politician Triwisaksana as Sandiaga’s running mate.

ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI