JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, former Vice President of the Republic and former Chairman of Golkar Party, has been named as the running mate of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, a presidential nominee supported by a coalition of four political parties (PDI-P, PKB, Nasdem, and Hanura).
At 12 am Jakarta time, (May 19), the pair of Jokowi and Kalla was officially declared at Gedung Joang 45 in Menteng, Central Jakarta, and is scheduled to register to the General Election Commission (KPU) this afternoon.
Born in Watampone, Bone, South Sulawesi, on May 15, 1942, Kalla is already 72 years old. He currently serves as Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and Chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI). He is also member of the Supervisory Board of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in the country.
As reported earlier, Jokowi has several names, including Kalla, in his pool of potential running mates. Other names are such as the Anti-Graft KPK Chief Abraham Samad, Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini, Vice Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Mahfud MD, and former Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) Gen. (ret) Ryamizard Ryacudu.
But Jokowi along with Megawati Soekarnoputri and their coalition partners agreed to choose Kalla. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)