TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that Functional Group (Golkar) party would continue to support President Joko Widodo or Jokowi in the upcoming 2019 Presidential Election.
“Definitely. Why support others?” Kalla told Tempo during an exclusive interview on Wednesday, November 22.
In several occasions, Kalla stated that he would retire from politics after President Jokowi’s first-period administration expires in 2019. The vice president said he would spend the rest of his life with his family.
Read: JK Confident Golkar Will Endorse Jokowi in Presidential Election
According to Kalla, he would continue to support President Jokowi as a friend. He reiterated that it would not be appropriate not to support a friend that he has known for five years.
In response to a question whether he would help Jokowi to find a perfect vice president candidate, Kalla said that he knows the criteria for the next Jokowi’s running mate. He said the person must be able to increase President Jokowi’s electability and of different characters.
“[The candidate] must have capabilities and be different from the president. A non-Javanese, or [with] military [background] is fine. There is no restriction,” Kalla said, adding that the candidate could be from Golkar.
ISTMAN MUSAHARUN PRAMADIBA
