Ahok Sue for Divorce: 2 Reasons Supporters Take Side on Veronica

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok divorce his wife Veronica Tan, making his supporters reacted in diverse.

Many supporters think that the divorce is Ahok’s private business with the harp's player (Veronica Tan) so that they have nothing to do with Ahok's politics and policies during his term as Governor of Jakarta. However, not a few who deplore Ahok's decision, even trying to make Ahok cancel it.

Read Also: Ahok Sue for Divorce, District Court to Assign Panel of Judges

A Bogor citizen named Lisa Gunawan, 46, spontaneously made an online petition on the Change.org page under the title 'Cancel Ahok Divorce Lawsuit to Veronica Tan' on Monday, January 8, 2018. A day later, Tuesday, January 9, at around 2:02 pm Western Indonesian Time (WIB), already 8,560 people signed the petition made by Lisa.

"Yes, I was surprised too (knowing how many who support)," he told Tempo on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

Lisa takes side on Veronica Tan and tends to blame Ahok for filing a divorce suit to the North Jakarta District Court. "If it is true, Mrs. Vero does that (do less good or cheating), we hope they are okay."

There are at least two things that make his supporters blame Ahok in this divorce issue. First, according to Lisa, Ahok forgot that she had vowed to stay alive or dead with Veronica under their marriage pledge in 1997.

The second reason relates to Ahok's true character. "Ahok, he is temperamental, I hope he thinks again, to not get separated," said Lisa.

That is why Lisa asks Ahok to cancel his demands for the divorce. Lisa hopes, Ahok wants to rethink his decision to divorce with Veronica.

Lisa learned about the divorce plan from media coverage on Monday, January 8, 2018. Suddenly a Facebook group of Ahok volunteer friends, where she joined, crowded with sad expressions and even could not believe about the Ahok’s decision and intention to divorce his wife.

"Friends in the group were shocked to hear the news. He is a role model that we all very proud of," said the entrepreneur who is familiarly called Lisa Ocha.

According to Lisa, the members of the group hope Ahok will not get separated with Veronica. So spontaneously, Lisa took the initiative to make an online petition on the page of change.org with the title 'Cancel Ahok Divorce Lawsuit to Veronica Tan.'

Read also: Ahok`s Divorce Paper Against Veronica Tan Revealed

In the petition, Lisa who claimed to be a big fan of Ahok, expressed her surprise about Ahok's divorce news to Veronica Tan whose the lawsuit filed by Ahok's lawyer to North Jakarta District Court on Friday, January 5, 2018.

Lisa does not know how to deliver the results of the petition to Ahok in Rutan Brimob Command Headquarters, Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java. However, she wishes that there is someone who would deliver it to Ahok.

M ROSSENO AJI