TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Jakarta regional deputy Rian Ernest responded to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan’s comments who tended to blame past governors for the lack of urban waste management.

Ernest believes that the idea of turning trash into electricity was not originally pitched by Anies Baswedan, but was already seriously taken into account under Basuki “BTP” Tjahaja Purnama’s administration

“There was a discussion during the era of Pak BTP where they planned to have a generator. I can’t remember its specific name,” said Ernest to Tempo on Thursday, August 1.

He then explained that the concept was initially planned to be constructed by PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) which was supposed to be built at Sunter district, which Anies gave a different name under Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF).

“This means there were plans headed there. But Ahok was unable to complete it since he didn’t win the Gubernatorial Election,” said Ernest, who once worked for Ahok, or BTP, as the former governor’s expert staff on legal issues.

However, he did not want to claim that the idea belonged to Ahok but only reminded Anies Baswedan to refrain from blaming past governors for today’s waste issue and easily turn against former leaders once faced with challenges.

“It is not great for a leader to easily turn his back away and blame others,” said Ernest.

FEBRIYAN