Ahok Leaves Gerindra

BASUKI Tjahaja 'Ahok' Purnama resigned as a member of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party on Wednesday last week. Ahok, the acting governor of Jakarta, said he could not go along with Gerindra's push to eliminate direct elections for governors, regents and mayors across Indonesia. "Because I disagree, I submitted my resignation," he said.

Prabowo Subianto, the chairman of Gerindra's Board of Patrons, said he respected Ahok's decision. "Joining or leaving a party is a political right. Why would I resent that?" he said at the home of Golkar Advisory Board Chairman Akbar Tandjung on Wednesday last week. Prabowo, who lost the presidential race in July, said he had not yet received Ahok's letter of resignation.