Jakarta. It was the worst-kept secret in contemporary Indonesian politics, and on Monday it was made official: presidential front-runner Joko Widodo has picked Jusuf Kalla, the former vice president, to be his running mate for the July 9 election.
“After some thinking and consultation with coalition party leaders, we have decided to choose Bapak Muhammad Jusuf Kalla to be my running mate,” Joko said in a brief declaration at the historical Gedung Juang building in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Monday morning, where he was flanked by Kalla.
The pair had arrived from the nearby home of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of Joko’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, and were greeted by hundreds of supporters waving flags and banners.
Joko said he was confident that he and Kalla could “bring a change to our beloved nation,” before thanking the crowd.
Kalla added, “I am ready to accompany Bapak Joko Widodo for the welfare of our nation.”
After the declaration, the pair returned to Megawati’s home, from where they are scheduled to head to the office of the General Elections Commission, or KPU, also in Menteng, by bicycle to officially register for the election.
The PDI-P and its coalition partners were widely expected to pair Joko with Kalla, who was believed to have been proposed by Surya Paloh, the chairman of the National Democrat Party, or NasDem, one of the four parties endorsing Joko.
The others are the National Awakening Party, or PKB, and the People’s Conscience Party, or Hanura.
Surya and Kalla previously served together as top officials of the Golkar Party, until Surya left to establish NasDem.
Polls paint Joko as the strong favorite to win the July 9 election.
Presidential candidates have until midnight on Tuesday to register with the KPU. Joko and Kalla are expected to be the first to do so.
Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, is also expected to register later today. He previously named Hatta Rajasa of the National Mandate Party, or PAN, as his running mate.
After registering, the candidates will undergo a medical check-up at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta later this week.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/jokowi-declares-kalla-as-running-mate/
