People’s Synergy for Democracy in Indonesia (Sigma) director Said Salahudin says the coincidence in the submission of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s request for leave and Hatta Rajasa’s resignation letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today is quite normal as the momentum of the presidential candidacies reaches its peak this week.
The political analyst further said political parties that had formed a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) would declare their support for Jokowi’s presidential bid on Wednesday.
“Meanwhile, Hatta is also scheduled to be named as Prabowo Subianto’s running mate tomorrow,” he added.
According to Said, there was nothing special about the submission of Jokowi’s leave request and Hatta’s resignation letter to President Yudhoyono today. “This is the mechanism they must follow,” he said.
Jokowi submitted a leave request to run in the July 9 presidential race to President Yudhoyono at the Presidential Office at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
“I will submit a request to Pak President for my presidential candidacy,” he told journalists as quoted by Antara news agency.
Jokowi is the presidential candidate nominated by the PDI-P and the NasDem Party. Law No.42/2008 on the presidential election stipulates that any regional head who wants to run for president does not have to resign from his position but must submit a leave-of-absence request.
Yudhoyono is scheduled to receive Prabowo and Hatta on 5 p.m. today in which the latter will submit a request to be Prabowo’s vice-presidential running mate and resign from his current position as the Coordinating Economic Minister.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/13/jokowi-s-leave-request-hat...
