Presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodosaid he was aiming for a big win in Central Java, especially in hishometown of Surakarta(commonly known as Solo)
residential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodosaid he was aiming for a big win in Central Java, especially in hishometown of Surakarta(commonly known as Solo).
"Solo is my birthplace and with us all gathered here, I am sure that we will win big in Solo," he said in front of 2,500 supporters at the Central Java Cultural Park in Surakarta on Saturday.
Jokowi's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), garnered 116,662 votes during the legislative election in April. This was followed by the Gerindra Party with 15,263 votes.
Previously, Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo had announced with great confidence that the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla presidential ticket would win by a landslide in Surakarta.
Jokowi acknowledged that the smear campaign that had been gaining momentum concerned him, but he said he hoped his supporters would help dispel the rumors.
The former Surakarta mayor was originally only scheduled to meet with family members and visit his father's grave in Kaliyoso, Surakarta. One of Jokowi's campaign team members, Paulus Haryoto, confirmed that the campaign event in the park had been a last-minute decision.
Surakarta Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) chairman Sri Sumanta said that the use of the public park as the venue for Jokowi's campaign rally did not violate any electoral regulations, as the park could be used for any public events, including political ones.
The Jokowi-Kalla ticket, which drew number "2" for the ballot, is supported by the PDI-P and its coalition partners, the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party, which have secured a combined total of 36.97 percent or 207 out of the total 560 seats in the House of Representatives. (fss/dic)
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