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Ma’ruf, Sandiaga want to meet each other
While reconciliation efforts between incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his challenger Prabowo Subianto are still stumbling over each other’s victory claims, their running mates have expressed interest in meeting each other
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span>While reconciliation efforts between incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his challenger Prabowo Subianto are still stumbling over each other’s victory claims, their running mates have expressed interest in meeting each other.
Jokowi’s running mate Ma’ruf Amin showed interest in meeting with Prabowo’s Sandiaga Uno, saying he hoped to reconcile with the young politician after voting day.
Since the election concluded last week, Ma’ruf has been among the prominent figures who have called for all Indonesians and elite figures to reconcile with one another, arguing that the nation’s unity must be put above all else.
“We are still waiting for the right time [to meet Sandiaga],” Ma’ruf said, “We need a reconciliation to put our nation back as a whole […] we have to prioritize the country’s unity above our own [coalition’s] or certain parties’
interests.”
Though Indonesia earned kudos from around the world for its first concurrent presidential and legislative elections, the voting day ended with intensifying political tensions after Prabowo declared himself the new president, despite quick-count results showing the incumbent was on track to secure his second term.
The victory claims led the two rival camps to trade barbs over the legitimacy of the vote count and the final result of the election, with both campaign teams scrutinizing the vote-counting process.
Jokowi has not made any victory claims, and has told everyone to wait for the electoral process at the General Elections Commission (KPU). But his supporters, just like Prabowo’s, have made such claims and celebrate his win in the election.
Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin campaign team spokesperson Usman Kansong said meeting Sandiaga was Ma’ruf’s idea, which arose after Jokowi tried to reach Prabowo just days after the election.
Jokowi had tried to appoint an envoy to bridge communication with Prabowo and arrange a meeting, which was still rejected by the former Army general.
“It will be great if the timing allows [Ma’ruf and Sandiaga] to meet before May 22 […] however, we cannot force anything because it takes commitment from both sides,” Usman said.
Sandiaga has welcomed Ma’ruf’s plan to meet up. The businessman-turned-politician said he was ready to meet the Muslim cleric “anytime”.
Sandiaga said he had also asked for help from Yusuf Mansur, a popular Muslim preacher who supported Jokowi, who had arranged a meeting with Ma’ruf in the past.
“I wanted to ask for some advice from him [Ma’ruf]. That was eight months ago. I am ready [to meet Ma’ruf] anytime,” he said.
Luhut Pandjaitan, Jokowi’s close aide and a key figure behind the incumbent’s reelection bid, had talked on the phone with Prabowo and planned a meeting between the two, but it had to be postponed reportedly because the Gerindra Party patron caught the flu.
Jokowi himself has said that he looks forward to meeting Prabowo, although an exact date has not been decided.
Sandiaga has said he thinks a meeting between the two presidential candidates could show a “peaceful sign” to the public while the vote tally process is still underway.
Moeldoko, a Jokowi-Ma’ruf campaign team member, said reconciliation between the two figures only needed to “wait for the opportunity”, though it would most likely take place after the KPU concludes vote counting and announces the official election results.
Prabowo’s campaign team said it was his supporters who had suggested that the candidate not answer the call for reconciliation with Jokowi, until the KPU announces the presidential election winner.
“We suggest that Prabowo doesn’t meet [Jokowi]. Let us focus on our duty [in gathering the C1 form]. Thank God, he has taken our advice,” said Slamet Ma’arif, spokesman for the Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign team, adding that the suggestion also came from Muslim clerics who support him.
Slamet himself is the chairman of an organization calling itself the 212 Rally Alumni, a group of Muslim activists who were involved in a string of sectarian rallies in 2016 demanding the prosecution of then-Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy.
“They can meet after the KPU has the final count result,” Slamet said.
The Prabowo campaign team said it was currently gathering evidence of what it claimed to be election violations conducted by the Jokowi camp.
Prabowo and his campaign team believed they won the election based on their internal real count, claiming that the team had collected C1 vote tally forms from all polling stations to back up the victory claims.
