Jakarta. The National Awakening Party, or PKB, has set a goal to win at least 75 percent of the votes in East Java province for presidential and vice presidential candidates Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla in the July 9 election, according to party chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.
Muhaimin, who is also the minister for manpower and transmigration, said all of the party’s members and volunteers must act in order to achieve this goal.
“I order all PKB cadres to greet all people. In the legislative election all PKB cadres worked really hard to win the party in East Java. I ask them to work harder to win Jokowi and JK to save Indonesia,” he said on Sunday, referring to Joko by his nickname.
Muhaimin said that Joko is the right person to lead Indonesia because he showed willingness to work and to be with the people.
“He knows precisely the issues faced by the people so he can settle them quickly. JK [Jusuf Kalla] has so many experiences in taking care of the issues in the country,” Muhaimin said.
East Java is the base of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s biggest Islamic organization, with an estimated 40 million members. It is not formally affiliated with PKB.
Based on the official results of the General Election Commission (KPU), PKB had the most votes in East Java, taking in more than 19 percent in 38 districts and municipalities in the province.
Joko and Kalla are supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), PKB, National Democrat party (Nasdem), People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).
On Sunday, around 17,000 participants joined a long march in Surabaya, East Java to support Joko and Kalla. The event was led by the Archipelago Islamic Students Troops (Laskar Santri Nusantara). Muhaimin and Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini also attended the event.
Joko and Kalla face rival presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Hatta Rajasa in the election two weeks from now. The winning candidate will succeed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose second five-year term ends in October.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/pkb-aims-take-75-votes-east-java-jok...
