REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANJARMASIN -- Vice-presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla (JK) said that the Kalimantan island has extraordinary wealth, which may not be moved to other regions but will be used for the welfare of its people.
"Kalimantan has abundant wealth, but the wealth may not be moved to other regions. It should instead be used for the prosperity of the local people," JK said when meeting ulemas (Muslim clerics) here on Friday.
JK, who is the running mate of presidential candidate Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, said that the wealth of the largest island in Indonesia began to deplete after trees of most of its forests were felled.
However, denuded forest areas could be rehabilitated to restore the conditions of Kalimantan's natural resources such as forests.
He said that apart from forests, Kalimantan was still rich in other natural wealth such as mining resources. Mining resources, if exploited in the correct manner, will have the greatest impact on the local people, not on other people outside the island.
Therefore, he promised that if his presidential pair won the upcoming elections, he will pay more attention to the improvement of Kalimantan people's welfare.
In order to realize the dream, JK has asked the local ulemas to support and pray for his team's victory.
He said that the support of the ulemas will be meaningful, particularly in guiding the people to fight for prosperity and improvement through the presidential elections.
"No matter how strong a government is, it will be meaningless without the support of the ulemas in improving the idealized, fair, and equitable welfare of the people," Kalla added.
Indonesia will organize a free and democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will have only two pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla.
Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party, while his running mate Hatta Rajasa is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Jokowi is Jakarta's governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and his running mate Jusuf Kalla (JK) is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party.
The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrats Party (Nasdem) established by Surya Paloh, owner of Metro TV and the Media Indonesia newspaper.
The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Moon and Star Party (PBB), and the Golkar Party, whose current chairman is Aburizal Bakrie, owner of TV One.
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