REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Executive Board members and cadres of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) declared their support for the Prabowo-Hatta presidential and vice presidential candidate pair in the upcoming July 9 presidential election.

Secretary of the Law Enforcing Department of the Democratic Party Jemmy Setiawan, who is concurrently coordinator of the declaration, said PD cadres will support the Probowo team because the pair was expected to continue the pro-people programs of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Hatta Rajasa was a chief economic minister of Yudhoyono's government, who had resigned to contest as a vice presidential candidate in the presidential election.

"We see that the vision and mission of the Prabowo-Hatta duo are in line with the pro-people programs of Yudhoyono's government, which has helped Indonesia to become one of the 20 world's largest economies," Jemmy said.

Jemmy added that his party had also closely assessed the presidential debates that were organized by the General Elections Commission (KPU) twice on June 8 and June 15, 2014.

"From that point, the direction of our support to the Prabowo-Hatta presidential and vice presidential candidate pair became clearer," he noted.

Meanwhile, Political, Legal and Security Department chief of PD retired Lieutenant General M Yasin said the declaration of support for Prabowo was purely based on personal preferences not because of encouragement from the party or from any side.

He remarked that the declaration by PD cadres and executive board members was a follow up of the support of the PD faction members of the House of Representatives (DPR), which was declared on Monday, June 16, 2014.

Indonesia will organize a free and democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by 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 the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), 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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