What Widodo’s pick for veep says about Indonesian politics
After years of battling sectarian politics and attacks on the strength of his religious beliefs, Indonesia’s president has joined forces with Islamic leader Ma’ruf Amin to boost his election chances
As a practising Muslim from a traditional Javanese heartland, President Joko Widodo’s Islamic credentials should be beyond question.
But after years of battling sectarian politics and repeated attacks on the strength of his religious beliefs, Indonesia’s leader has joined forces with an Islamic cleric and figurehead of the world’s largest Muslim organisation in an effort to win re-election.
The man, universally known as “Jokowi”, ended months of speculation on Thursday by picking 75-year-old Islamic scholar Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate for next year’s presidential election. Their challenger is controversial former Army General Prabowo Subianto, who raised eyebrows by confirming deputy governor of Jakarta, Sandiaga Uno, as his own running mate just hours before the Friday deadline.
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The contest is a repeat of the 2014 presidential election, when Widodo, 57, from Surakarta, Central Java – perceived as a fresh challenger to vested political interests – defeated Prabowo, 66, a charismatic firebrand with deep ties to Indonesia’s business and military elite.