TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nasdem Party secretary-general Johnny G. Plate refuted the accusation delivered by Mahfud MD. During a television show Indonesia Lawyers Club (ILC) aired live by TV One on Tuesday, August 14, Mahfud MD had spoken about the incumbent candidate Joko `Jokowi` Widodo who failed to choose him as the vice presidential candidate.
Mahfud revealed that Jokowi had chosen him until Thursday, August 9, but the decision was annulled in the afternoon, minutes before Jokowi announcing his running mate at Plataran Menteng Restaurant, Jakarta. The reason, he added, due to pressures from several parties of Jokowi coalition.
Tempo asked for a confirmation from Mahfud MD yet he was reluctant to comment.
Johnny also remained non-committal in light of the story shared by the former chairman of the Constitutional Court. He asked Tempo to seek confirmation directly from leaders of the party coalition that attended the declaration in the restaurant.
Read: Mahfud MD Inching Closer to Become Jokowi`s Running Mate
“Pak Mahfud MD did not present at the meeting,” said Johnny at his office, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 15.
According to Johnny, the designation of Ma’ruf Amin as the vice presidential candidate was Jokowi’s decision. “Party leaders give the prerogative right but they must agree and endorse it because the document is signed by party’s chair and secretary-generals to be then submitted to the KPU,” he explained.
In other words, Johnny added, the coalition party must provide its permit for Jokowi's own decision in a bid to maintain the political relationship.
Jokowi announced the Indonesian Ulema Council chairman Ma’ruf Amin as his vice presidential candidate on Thursday evening, August 9, at Plataran Restaurant, Menteng, Jakarta.
Based on the Mahfud MD’s statement, the people of Jokowi told him that he would be Jokowi’s running mate. During ILC show, he claimed to have prepared and ordered to wait at Tesate Restaurant located across Plataran before he was called by PDIP politician Pratikno to return as changes emerged.
DEWI NURITA
