Jakarta – Jakarta administration general affairs head Firmansyah said the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) had gained permission from Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to use the City Hall yard to celebrate its anniversary.
"The PKS asked the governor directly for permission [to use the City Hall yard]," Firmansyah said. "The usual mechanism to use the [yard] is first to ask general affairs for permission. I don't really know whether the event was so sudden [that the PKS needed to ask the governor directly for permission]," Firmansyah said on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co.
On April 15, the PKS held a leisurely road race event centered at City Hall as part of the party's 20th anniversary celebration, attended by PKS president Sohibul Iman. The peak event will be held on May 13. Firmansyah added that the governor could even give verbal permission to parties that wanted to use City Hall.
Earlier, public policy expert Trubus Rahadiansyah questioned the use of City Hall for PKS anniversary events.
Meanwhile, PKS Jakarta chapter chairman Syakir Purnomo claimed the party had followed correct procedures in using City Hall. The party chose City Hall as the celebration venue as a form of the party's support for Anies and his deputy, Sandiaga Uno, he said. (wnd)