TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says he has yet to decide on his running mate for the upcoming presidential elections in July, adding that he is still mulling over three candidates.
“It has not been decided yet. There are three candidates, sometimes down to two, it’s still changing,” he said in Jakarta, April 24, 2014.
The Jakarta governor also refused to reveal the names of the candidates, explaining only that his running mate could be from a party or non-party, of civil society or military, and younger or older than he was.
Jokowi said there were several criteria that his potential running mate must meet, among them compatibility, chemistry, and electability. He added Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)’s chair would help him decide on his running mate. “But at the end, it is my call. Because I will be the one working with the vice president,” he said.
Jokowi said the selection process of his running mate would be quite lengthy as it would affect the future of both the people and the nation. “There is no need to rush. This is not merely a presidential matter, but it also about 250 million Indonesians. This is why we have to be cautious,” Jokowi said.
Rumor has it the three candidates are Jusuf Kalla, Mahfud Md., and Ryamizard Ryacudu. The first two came from the civil society, while Ryamizard was an ex-Army chief of staff and known to be very close to Megawati.
The three, however, are older than Jokowi: Kalla was born in 1942, Mahfud in 1957, and Ryamizard in 1950. The three are not PDI-P members.
ANANDA TERESIA