REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Secretary general of Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Raja Juli Antoni said that Indonesian Working Coalition (KIK) who supported the incumbent President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-KH Ma’ruf Amin was ready to find honorable position to Yenny Wahid in their national campaign team. He believed Yenny as daughter of the late Indonesian fourth president Abdurrahman Wahid "Gus Dur" had a significant influence and deserved to be in the steering committe of KIK's national campaign team.
"If she's in, we have to find her honorable position, probably she will be in steering committee together with Mr Jusuf Kalla," Raja said to Republika.co.id, on Tuesday (Sept 11).
Although Raja could not tell the exact number of Gus Dur's followers, he believed the figure was big. A little support from Gus Dur's daughter would influence Nahdlatul Ulama followers to vote for Jokowi-Kiai Ma'ruf, he said.
Raja explained Jokowi has paid a visit to Gus Dur's house on last Friday (Sept 7). He said it was intended to seek blessing and to bond ties.
According to Raja, Yenny was more suitable to join the government camp as values to be fight by Jokowi-Kiai Ma'ruf represent Gus Dur thoughts. Moreover, Jokowi paired with Kiai Ma'ruf who is Nahdlatul Ulama supreme leader and Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) chairman.
"I think values raised by Gus Dur's family are closer to Mr Jokowi than to Mr Prabowo," Raja said.
Raja's statement indicated that Yenny has been dragged by two camps competing in presidential election 2019. On Monday, vice presidential candidate of the opposition camp Sandiaga conveyed the invitation to Yenny to join his campaign team.
Sandiaga assessed Yenny is the right figure to be in his team and she would have a great role if she chose to accept the offer.
However, Sandiaga understood Yenny's position as Gus Dur's family member. He did not wish to give Yenny such a burden.
"I am not in the position to invite (Yenny Wahid)," Sandiaga said after visiting Gus Dur's house at Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, on Monday (Sept 10).
Yenny admitted Sandiaga has proposed her to join the opposition camp's campaign team, but not as the chief. "It was a just visit, but he invites me to join his campaign team," Yenny said.
According to Yenny, Jokowi also has invited her to join the government's camp campaign team. "Mr Jokowi has visited us on Friday. Mr Sandiaga today, tomorrow mr Prabowo. But, we'll see. Nahdlatul Ulama followers always made up their mind through istikarah prayers," she said.
Yenny also said she needed permission from her mother, Shinta Nuriyah Wahid. She explained that her mother has always been neutral.
"I might not get permission to support any of them," she said.
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