PPP secretary-general Arsul Sani said that, during the party's national working meeting earlier this year, many cadres suggested naming Gatot as running mate for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"Many suggestions and aspirations [have been raised] that Gatot be Jokowi's running mate," Arsul confirmed on Monday.

The PPP has stated it will back Jokowi for a reelection bid in 2019. However, Arsul said the party was in no hurry to decide who it would nominate as Jokowi's running mate.

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However, he acknowledged that Gatot would be suitable for pairing with Jokowi, citing reasons such as Gatot's military background and the fact that the TNI commander had a close relationship with Islamic groups.

"They're suited to each other, aren't they? Jokowi is civilian, while Gatot is from the military," Arsul said, adding that no cadre had objected to the suggested pairing.

However, he said, Jokowi had the final say in the matter.

According to several pollsters' surveys, Gatot is one of the potential candidates for the 2019 presidential election.

Gatot is currently at the center of the ongoing controversy surrounding the police's "irregular" munitions procurement. (foy/bbs)