REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo believed volunteers supporting his reelection bid in the presidential election 2019 are not 'cardboard' ones. He said that on the sidelines of the 4th national working meeting of Projo volunteers at Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, on Sunday.

"I believe volunteers grouped in Projo (Pro-Jokowi) are not 'cardboard' ones but are genuine volunteers who have militancy and a high spirit to help improve the country," he said.

The term 'cardboard' was recently popular since Democratic Party politician Andi Arief mocked opposition camp's presidential candidate as 'cardboard general' after Prabowo Subianto decided to pair up with businessman Sandiaga Uno whom he accused has given Rp1 trillion as political dowry to Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and National Mandate Party (PAN).

Democratic Party was also one of supporting parties of Prabowo's camp. However, according to Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) said alleged political dowry that was given by Sandiaga to PKS and PAN to enable him to be vice presidential candidate of the opposition camp was not proven.

Meanwhile, the government camp has agreed to support Jokowi and Nahdlatul Ulema supreme leader KH Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate. Jokowi, as the president is also popularly called, attended the meeting to give directives to his volunteers which were given behind closed doors.

"(I gave the directives) to boost their spirit so they would have more militancy and really wish to contribute to the country," he said.

The meeting since Saturday has heard directives from a number of other figures including the chief of Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin campaign team, Erick Thohir and campaign team deputy chairman Moeldoko. "From the start we have always brought optimism and presented what we have achieved," he said.

Jokowi believed the presidential election in 2019 would be a contest about ideas and a debate on sesitive issues of racial, religious and tribal differences (sara issues). "I think it must indeed be about contest of programs, ideas or views. I think it should make peopld more mature in the political field," he said.

Regarding the proposal on the use of English in the presidential debate Jokowi said, "we are Indonesians. As a nation we have a national language which is Indonesian language."

The proposal had come from Yandri Susanto, an executive board member of the National Mandate Party (PAN) which is one of the four parties supporting Jokowi's rival Prabowo Subianto, who is a former army general. Prabowo with business man Sandiaga Uno as his running mate have expressed disagreement over the idea.

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