Former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is serving a two-year jail sentence for blasphemy, will refuse parole in hope of an early release date, according to the Straits Times. Better known as Ahok, the Chinese-Christian politician will be eligible for parole in August this year, which means he will be released for up to four hours a day. In March, Indonesia’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Christian ex-governor of Jakarta to review his conviction for insulting Islam. The pressure to accommodate Islamic groups in Indonesian politics has become more pronounced since the 2016–17 Jakarta gubernatorial election, writes Alexander R. Arifianto for East Asia Forum. He argues that all potential candidates will have to show that they possess strong Islamic credentials if they hope to go far.