REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) would announce his running mate for next year's presidential election in early August. The news was confirmed by General Chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) Oesman Sapta Odang here on Tuesday.
"At our recent meeting, Widodo and the coalition party leaders have come up with one name. We are just waiting for the official announcement that he will make around next week plus two or three days. He will do it at the appropriate time," he stated.
He noted that the leaders of the People's Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Golkar Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), National Democrat Party (Nasdem), and Hanura had agreed to let Jokowi decide his running mate.
The coalition party leaders have also agreed to support the reelection of the incumbent president next year, he told reporters, who questioned him about the result of the meeting of the coalition party leaders with Jokowi, on Monday evening.
Odang was reluctant to clarify the name of the most potential running mate for Jokowi. He argued that the five coalition party leaders had pledged not to leak it to public prior to Jokowi's official announcement.
Local media reports recently revealed that PPP General Chairman Muhammad Romahurmuziy, Golkar Party Chairman Airlangga Hartarto, and PKB General Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar were among potential running mates of Jokowi.
Several other names frequently mentioned by local media were, among others, former Indonesian Military Chief Moeldoko, and Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani who is also the daughter of PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Jokowi's toughest rival in the 2019 presidential election remains the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party Chief Patron Prabowo Subianto, who is still looking for the most potential running mate from parties such as the Democratic Party.
The eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, has been mentioned by both mainstream and social media to be Subianto's most potential vice presidential candidate.
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