JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The hardline Islamic group Islam Defenders Front (FPI) staged a rally on Monday (Nov. 10) in front of the Jakarta’s city hall as a form of rejection to the upcoming installment of Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama as the new Jakarta Governor.
“If (Ahok) doesn’t want to step down, then die,” threatened one of the orators to FPI’s members as quoted by detik.com.
Hundreds of security officers from the Police and the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) have been deployed to guard the FPI’s rally.
The Acting Jakarta Governor Ahok, a Christian and a Chinese descent, is set to make a history as the first Chinese Governor of the capital city of Jakarta should he be sworn in as new Jakarta Governor to replace Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who has been sworn in as the President of the Republic.
Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo has earlier urged the Jakarta provincial House of Representatives (DPRD) to soon inaugurate Ahok as the new Jakarta Governor.
The Red-and-White coalition, a majority force in the DPRD Jakarta, however, stated that the coalition will support the FPI to reject Ahok’s installment. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)