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Jokowi-Kalla calls for Indonesian unity

President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla delivered a victory speech on a traditional phinisi boat of the Bugis-Makassar community at Sunda Kelapa Port in North Jakarta on Tuesday evening

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Wed, July 23, 2014

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Jokowi-Kalla calls for Indonesian unity

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resident-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo and vicepresident-elect Jusuf Kalla delivered a victory speech on a traditional phinisiboat of the Bugis-Makassar community at Sunda Kelapa Port in North Jakarta on Tuesday evening. 

In his speech, Jokowi said he had high regard for his rival candidate pair Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa, whom he described as '€œour best friends during the competition to decide the leader for the next five years'€. 

Jokowi said his victory belonged to all Indonesians, stressing that political differences in the past few months had divided families, neighbors and friends, even though such plurality was essential in a democracy. 

'€œWith our humility, we call on all Indonesians to return to being a united nation. Forget number one or two, we should return to number three [of Pancasila], the unity of Indonesia,'€ he said as broadcast live on TV. 

'€œWe have to be responsible again for our selves, especially for our children and grand children; politics is about happiness, wisdom and freedom,'€ he said. 

Jokowi said the voluntarism during the campaign period had created new optimism for the nation, in order to build again the spirit of '€˜gotong royong'€™ (mutual cooperation). 

He said that spirit was a foundation for the nation to become '€œpolitically sovereign, economically self-sufficient and culturally strong in character'€.  

'€œIt is time for all farmers, fishermen, traders, employees and workers to return to their jobs and consider ourselves as the nation of Great Indonesia. A three-finger salute for the unity of Indonesia,'€ he said.  

On Tuesday evening, the General Elections Commission (KPU) named the Jokowi-Kalla pair as president-elect and vice president-elect after the official announcement of the final vote tally of the 2014 election. (gda)

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