Anies to meet Ahok at City Hall

JAKARTA. Jakarta governor candidate Anies Baswedan is set to meet his rival, incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, at City Hall on Thursday morning as quick count results suggest the former won the Jakarta gubernatorial runoff election on April 19.

Anies’ media team officer Naufal Firman Yusak said on Wednesday the former education and culture minister would arrive at City Hall at 6.30 a.m., several hours before Ahok attended his blasphemy case hearing.

“Previously Anies wanted to go to Ahok’s house in North Jakarta, but later the venue was changed to City Hall,” Naufal told reporters.

On Thursday, Ahok is scheduled to hear the prosecutors’ sentence demand against him in his blasphemy trial. He faces up to five years’ imprisonment if found guilty as prosecutors have charged him with violating articles 156 and 156 (a) of the Criminal Code on blasphemy.

Various polls on Wednesday evening showed Anies held the lead over Ahok in the election. A quick count conducted by Kompas, for example, appeared to show that Anies obtained 58 percent of the vote while Ahok only got 42 percent. Other institutions showed similar results. (Indra Budiari)