Ahok said he will not feel threatened even if the FPI comes out with a bigger demonstration. "I am used to facing rejection for my racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds," he said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Some one thousand FPI Muslim activists staged a protest rally on the premises of the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD), rejecting a plan to appoint Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as the Jakarta governor succeeding Joko Widodo.

"A majority of Jakartas residents are Muslims. It is unlawful (based on the Islamic law) for them to accept Ahok," a protester who was asked to deliver a speech by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), said here at the rally on Tuesday.

He said that the FPI wanted the DPRD to hear its opinion and cancel the plan to appoint Ahok as Widodo�s successor.

"The DPRD should not blame us for any violence that might follow Ahoks appointment as the Jakarta governor," the FPI activist added.

During the rally, four leaders of the FPI -- Habib Selon, Habib Muhsin, Habib Fikri and Habib Idrus =-- met the DPRD leadership.

The FPI rally started with a long march from the Petamburan area to the Central Jakarta area. They arrived at the DPRD building at 11 am local time.

Some 300 policemen were deployed to maintain law and order along the rally route.

Jakarta Governor Jokowi, who paired with Jusuf Kalla in the July 9, 2014 Presidential elections and won the race, will be sworn in as the Indonesian President on October 20, 2014.

Ahok, who was his deputy, is tipped to replace him as the Jakarta governor.

The Central Jakarta police had earlier asked the FPI to observe order while protesting against the plan to appoint Ahok as the Jakarta governor.

Central Jakarta police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo said there was no special security arrangements to monitor the protest by the radical Islamic organization.

"Security preparations are just regular ones, involving police detectives and police mobile brigade," Hendro said here on Wednesday.

Ahok said there will be no special arrangements.

" Do I have to plant a mine here? This is not the first such demonstration in the country," the Jakarta vice-governor said.

He added that he will not feel threatened even if the FPI comes out with a bigger demonstration.

"I am used to facing rejection for my racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds," he said.

A senior legislator from the Islamic Justice Prosperous Party (PKS) even claimed that a survey had revealed that the people of Jakarta did not want Ahok as their governor.

Ahok, however, has gained popularity among the people for his outspokenness against corrupt officials and strict disciplinary measures.

According to the regulation, Ahok will replace President-elect Joko Widodo, who is to resign before he is sworn in as the President.

The move against Ahok was revived after he tendered his resignation as a cadre of the Gerindra party against the partys policy supporting indirect elections for regional leaders, including the governor.

Under the indirect election system, a regional leader is elected by the regional legislative assembly, a revision of the system followed by the country for the past 10 years. Earlier, the regional leaders were directly elected by the people.

The FPI said it will bring a big crowd to the City Hall on Wednesday to demonstrate their opposition to Ahok becoming the governor.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014