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Jokowi to fly to S. Arabia for minor haj ahead of poll

Presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plans to go to Saudi Arabia for a minor haj (umrah) during the quiet period to seek God’s blessing ahead of the election on July 9

Sita W Dewi and Margareth Aritonang (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, July 4, 2014

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Jokowi to fly to S. Arabia for minor haj ahead of poll

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residential candidate Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo plans to go to Saudi Arabia for a minor haj (umrah) during the quiet period to seek God'€™s blessing ahead of the election on July 9.

This year, the quiet period will run from July 6 to July 8.

Jokowi said that before all the previous elections in which he had stood he had performed umrah.
'€œDuring the quiet period, I usually perform umrah. I did so for the [2012 Jakarta] gubernatorial election and the [Surakarta] mayoral elections [in 2012, 2010 and 2005],'€ he said on the sidelines of his campaign trail in Surabaya, East Java, recently.

'€œDuring this period, I pray, stay quiet and just let God take care of the rest,'€ he added.

Jokowi said that he might take his wife with him.

'€œIf there'€™s a vacant seat, I might take her,'€ he said.

Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Ahmad Basara said that the Nasdem Party, which is a member of the PDI-P-led coalition backing the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla ticket, had come up with the idea.

Nasdem politician and Jokowi-Kalla campaign team spokesperson Akbar Faisal said that Nasdem chairman and media mogul Surya Paloh had initiated the trip.

'€œIt was Pak Surya Paloh'€™s idea so Pak Jokowi can calm himself prior to D-day,'€ he said, declining to elaborate on the financing.

When asked about security during the trip, Akbar said: '€œthere will be nothing special. We are going to visit God'€™s home. We are sure God will protect us.'€

Akbar said a number of other politicians would join the entourage, including himself, Ahmad Basara, National Awakening Party politician (PKB) Marwan Jaffar and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi.

According to a source close in the matter, Jokowi would be accompanied by a personal guard during the trip.

'€œThe entourage might fly with a commercial airline and continue with a local chartered jet,'€ the source said.

The source also said that Jokowi'€™s wife Iriana and one of their children would be onboard.
Akbar said that the entourage would pray for the best result on July 9, adding that '€œwe also call on supporters and volunteers to watch the voting and subsequent-counting process closely.

If you find any indication of fraudulent practices or money politics, report immediately to the relevant institutions or to our team.'€

The minor haj could be seen as an attempt to further rebuff the claims of malicious smear campaigns that has questioned Jokowi'€™s religion.

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