Jokowi-JK Ticket Raises Rp27 Billion in past Week

Jakarta (Antara) - The Jokowi-JK presidential ticket raised Rp27 billion in election funds from the public in the past week, its campaign team member, Akbar Faisal, said in a press statement here on Saturday. "This has objectively proven that the Jokowi-JK pair has been able to revive active public participation in the presidential election. So far, we have seen apathy among the people towards elections. But now, people seem to have been encouraged, again, to participate in the democratic event after seeing Jokowi and JK," he said. Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Jusuf Kalla (JK) opened a "solidarity account" on May 29 to raise funds to use for the presidential election scheduled on July 9. The funds from the general public have been collected in BRI, Mandiri and BCA bank accounts. "It seems that never before have election funds been collected as fast and transparently as this year. So far, people seemed to be unmoved during the campaign period and only moved when polling begins. It is different now," he said. He noted that in just within a week, people voluntarily donated directly, openly and transparently through the accounts for the Jokowi-JK ticket. "Before, it was money politics, but now it is people politics," he said. Jokowi, who is currently the Jakarta governor, along with former vice president Jusuf Kalla, will compete against former military commander Prabowo Subianto and former chief economic minister Hatta Rajasa in the upcoming election. (*) reporting by muhammad arief iskandar