TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Muslim-based United Development Party`s (PPP) youth wing, Kaaba Youth Movement, has trained 550 members for helping incumbent President Joko Widodo and his running mate, Ma`ruf Amin, win next year`s presidential race.
The training program, participated in by those coming from Jakarta, was held in the resort area of Cisarua, Bogor District, West Java Province, on Saturday and Sunday, the movement`s secretary general, Haries Setiawan, said.
"During the two-day program, the participants are given physical training and campaigning materials with the millennials as their main targets," he said in a statement made available to ANTARA on Sunday.
Maruarar Sirait, general chairman of the Red and White Youth who is a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), appreciated this PPP`s move saying that the PPP could be taken as a good example for other Joko Widodo`s coalition parties.
Meanwhile, on Sunday evening, Joko Widodo, who has officially registered as a presidential candidate, came to his camp`s headquarters on Cemara Street Number 19 in Central Jakarta, for witnessing a process of forming a team for helping him win the 2019 presidential race.
He was warmly welcomed by Pramono Anung and Ario Bimo, top cadres of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP), as well as Secretary General of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdul Kadir Kading. These three politicians of Joko Widodo`s coalition parties put on white shirts.
Wearing a t-shirt, Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, got off a Kijang Innova van. Several Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) members safeguarded him.
Inside the building, there have been seven secretary generals of his coalition parties, including Hasto Kristiyanto of the PDIP, Arsul Sani of the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), Raja Juli Antoni of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), and Jhonny G Plate of the National Democrat Party (Nasdem).
Secretary General of the People`s Conscience Party (Hanura) Secretary General Harry Lontung Siregar, Secretary General of the United Indonesia Party (Perindo) Ahmad Rofiq, and Secretary General of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Partys (PKPI) Verry Surya Hendrawan were also present.
However, Golkar Party Secretary General Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus did not show up and he was represented by other Golkar cadres.
According to PPP Secretary General Asrul Sani, Joko Widodo`s presence was aimed at discussing necessary matters related the formation of a campaign team for helping the Joko Widodo-Ma`ruf Amin pair win next year`s presidential election.
"Secretary generals meet here for making the team and improving the draft of our pair`s vision and mission," he said.
PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto added that the meeting also discussed figures selected to be the campaigners of the Joko Widodo-Ma`ruf Amin pair`s national campaigns.
Incumbent President Joko Widodo and the coalition parties supporting his efforts to grab a victory in the 2019 Presidential Election had selected Ma`ruf Amin, general chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) to be his running mate.
This pair is challenged by Chief Patron of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto, who has chosen Sandiaga Uno, former deputy Jakarta governor, as his running mate.
The two pairs had registered at the General Election Commission (KPU) in Central Jakarta on August 10. Then, on Sunday, the Jokowi-Ma`ruf pair underwent a medical check-up at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital.
ANTARA
