TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said that the National Democratic (NasDem) party would support him to run for a reelection without any conditions.

“They [NasDem] support [me] unconditionally. If I want to run in the election with Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok), they will also support it,” Ahok said at the City Hall in Jakarta on Friday, February 12, 2016.

Ahok could not confirm yet whether NasDem would declare its support, although he had been in communications with the party founded by Surya Paloh. However, NasDem would prioritize Teman Ahok as Ahok’s independent supporters.

“As I said before, I can’t leave Teman Ahok,” he addded.

Earlier, NasDem announced that it would declare its full support for Ahok as a candidate of the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. Ahok had expressed his gratitude for the support.

A number of political parties are gearing up to find candidates for the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party is considering Adhyaksa Dault, Abraham “Lulung” Lunggana, Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Marco Kusumawijaya. The National Awakening Party (PKB) reportedly talked with local celebrity Ahmad Dhani to run in the election.

Ahok earlier confirmed that he was up for a reelection even if he had to run as an independent candidate. However, Ahok indicated that he might run with the current deputy Djarot Syaiful Hidayat from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

The Jakarta governor admitted that he was close to other party leaders, such as People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Wiranto, National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifli Hasan and PDIP chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri.

INGE KLARA SAFITRI