Ahok to Fulfill Election Promise to Normalize Ciliwung River
29 September 2016 11:26 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said the demolition of Bukit Duri settlement, South Jakarta, shows that he can fulfill his promise to tackle recurrent floods in the capital city.
“For me, Jakartans should be able to assess [my work]; why did you vote for me for Deputy Governor of Mr. Jokowi? Because you believed that I could address floodings,” Ahok said Wednesday at the City Hall.
Ahok said when he ran for office with Joko Widodo in the 2012 Jakarta election, he promised to address flooding problems, normalize all rivers in Jakarta and revamp dams. After being elected into office, he and Jokowi had proven that they could revamp neglected Pluit Dam and address decade-old problems in Kampung Pulo, Ahok noted.
Ahok was bemused by the fact that some had been against eviction in Bukit Duri, which will pave the way for normalization of Ciliwung water—one of his and Jokowi’s election promises. “We promised it,” he said.
Therefore, Ahok said he had no choice but to demolish the settlement. He was wary of possible floodings in the area when heavy precipitation fell over in December had the eviction been suspended.
He said that he has no concerns about possible decline in popularity ahead of 2017 Jakarta election since he insisted on evicting residents of Bukit Duri. “I don’t care about [my] position nor popularity,” he said.
FRISKA RIANA