The wife of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Madam Veronica Tan, yesterday submitted an affidavit to a court declaring that she does not wish to appoint a lawyer, nor does she wish to attend any of the hearings for their divorce trial.
The affidavit, submitted along with her original ID card, revealed that Madam Tan wishes to leave it to the judges to make a ruling that is best for the couple.
The affidavit was verified and accepted by the court officials during the trial's second session.
A court administrative official said the two sessions could have been used by the judges for a mediation, to make the last attempts to persuade both parties to stay together, as is required by the Indonesian marriage law.
Basuki, better known by his Chinese nickname Ahok, filed for divorce on Jan 8. The first hearing was held last week. In the next hearing, on Feb 14, judges are expected to hear more about the reasons why Basuki filed for divorce.
The couple have been married since 1997. They have three children - Nicholas Sean, 19; Nathania, 16; and Daud Albeenner, 11.
"The intended divorce is because the two have not got along well and it has been so for seven years," Basuki's sister, Ms Fifi Lety Indra, who is also his lawyer in the divorce case, told reporters.
Basuki has also reportedly filed for custody of the children.
News of the divorce has come as a shock to many since the couple continued to display signs of what appeared to be a warm relationship after Basuki was jailed.
Last Dec 4, a photo of Madam Tan was posted on his official Instagram account along with a short message wishing her a happy birthday.
"As his sister, I also only found out about their marriage problem in November. Perhaps because my brother always tried to think positive about his marriage. He is a perfect gentleman," Ms Fifi said.
She told the court that a third person has caused the couple's marriage to deteriorate.
In May last year, Basuki was sentenced to two years in jail for blasphemy. The sentence was handed down weeks after he lost the Jakarta gubernatorial election.
Madam Tan made headlines later that month when she burst into tears at a news conference while reading out her husband's letter explaining his reasons for not appealing against the verdict.
Basuki was deputy governor of Jakarta before he took over as governor in 2014, after his former running mate, Mr Joko Widodo, was elected President of Indonesia.
