TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin hopes that after the peaceful rally held today, December 2, the National Movement to Save Indonesian Ulema Council's Edicts (GNPF-MUI) will stop staging protests. According to Lukman, all of the protest initiators' demands have been fulfilled.
"Surely we hope that there will be no further action. Their demand for a legal process to run has been fulfilled," Lukman said at the Presidential Palace, Friday, December 2.
Today's rally was a follow-up to the one held on November 4, which was aimed at urging the police to punish Jakarta Governor candidate Basuki Purnama Tjahaja a.k.a. Ahok for an alleged blasphemy against Islam. Today's rally was a mass prayers with the goal of ensuring that the government does not intervene with the case's investigation.
Ahok has been named suspect by police, and his case files have been declared complete by the Attorney General's Office. The case file had been submitted to the North Jakarta District Court yesterday, ready for trial.
Lukman said he doesn’t know whether the GNPF-MUI plans to roll out another action or not. But the minister said he will maintain communication with the group.
ISTMAN M. P.
