REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Jakarta Vice Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) clarified that he had submitted his resignation letter to Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) due to differences in ideology with the party.

"Well, from the beginning, I stated that I only obey the constitution, not the constituents. If the constitution has changed I must leave it," Basuki Tjahaja Purnama stated here on Thursday.

He remarked that there are differences in opinion regarding the bill on local elections, which is still being deliberated by the House of Representatives Commission II on elections and home affairs.

Ahok remarked that regional leaders should be elected directly, whereas Gerindra proposed a system of electing them through the members of the regional legislative assembly (DPRD).

He expressed discomfort on the statements issued by Gerindra's cadres who asked him to resign from the post of vice governor.

"In my opinion, there is no regulation in the act to fulfill the demand of Gerindra's cadres," he noted.

According to Ahok, his position as Jakarta's vice governor was the result of him being directly elected by the people.

"Our voice is not the voice of the party, but it is the voice of the people," he emphasized.

In addition, he did not show much concern to the negative response he received from several people or parties in connection with his resignation from Gerindra.

Earlier, the Gerindra Party adopted a stance to not stop Ahok from resigning from the party's membership.

"For us at Gerindra, all cadres are equal. If anyone from the party cadre wants to leave Gerindra, we have no problem. We cannot force Ahok to remain with us," Gerindra Party's deputy secretary general, Abdul Harris Bobihoe, affirmed here on Wednesday.

He remarked that Gerindra would not convene any special meeting to discuss the resignation letter of Ahok.

"We are not going to hold a special meeting or any such gathering to discuss the resignation letter of Ahok," he stated.

In fact, several party cadres were of the viewpoint that Ahok did not have any significant contribution to Gerindra.

"Actually, as a cadre, Ahok did not contribute at all," he claimed.

Ahok officially submitted his resignation letter to Gerindra here on Wednesday.

"On September 10, 2014, at 12:20 p.m. local time, the resignation letter of Ahok was accepted by the secretariat of Gerindra," he stated.

He regretted Ahok's decision to quit the party, considering the fact that his career was nurtured by Gerindra.

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