In what appears to be their first task as leaders of East Java, the province’s governor-elect Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her deputy, Emil Elestianto Dardak, have been asked by the political parties that support them to back President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in next year’s presidential election.
n what appears to be their first task as leaders of East Java, the province’s governor-elect Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her deputy, Emil Elestianto Dardak, have been asked by the political parties that support them to back President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in next year’s presidential election.
The United Development Party (PPP) asked Khofifah and Emil to back the President when they visited the party’s headquarters in Jakarta on Monday.
“We have asked Khofifah [and] Emil to synergize for the sake of Pak Jokowi’s success [in next year’s presidential election],” PPP chairman Muhammad Romahurmuziy said as quoted by tempo.co on Monday.
Khofifah said that she and Emil had received a similar request from NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh during their visit to the party’s headquarters.
“Pak Surya conveyed to us [his] commitment to having a united force that can align with our struggle in the future,” said Khofifah after a closed-door meeting with Surya on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
NasDem secretary-general Johnny G. Plate confirmed the party chairman’s message, saying that Khofifah and Emil were expected to build cooperation between the two parties to support the incumbent leader.
“We agree with that [message] and will work together to ensure that [Jokowi is] reelected,” he added.
Khofifah, who once served as Jokowi’s minister, had declared her support for the President after quick-count results showed she led in the 2018 East Java gubernatorial race. Khofifah-Emil got 53.5 percent of the vote. (kuk/ebf)
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