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Jokowi, Prabowo urged to meet to ease tensions
Calls mount for both 2019 presidential candidates to immediately meet.
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Incumbent President Joko Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto (Shutterstock/zombiu26)
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alls have been mounting for incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto to immediately hold a one-on-one meeting and ease tensions between the two camps, as concerns abound over the potential for post-election conflict.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla and a number of prominent Muslim figures are the latest to echo the calls, saying that a reconciliation between the two rivals is necessary to defuse tensions among their respective supporters at the grass roots.
Kalla gathered with leaders of the largest Muslim organizations in the country at his residence on Monday evening, during which they discussed the recent presidential and legislative elections and the ongoing process of final vote counting at the General Elections Commission (KPU).
The meeting was held on the heels of Prabowo’s declaration of victory, despite quick-count results showing Jokowi has been reelected to the presidency, causing the two rival camps to trade barbs over the legitimacy of the count and the ultimate result of the election.
Speaking after the meeting, Kalla said the participants in the gathering expected the presidential rivals to immediately patch things up because they alone had the leverage to ease the tensions in society.
“We believe that Pak Jokowi should meet with Pak Prabowo. The sooner the better,” Kalla said after the meeting, “It’s important because if the elite figures are united, the grass roots will also unite.”
Jimly Asshiddiqie, the chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI), concurred with Kalla as he spoke about his concerns over the claims of victory while the KPU has yet to announce the official vote tally and winners of the election.
