Jokowi's Presidential Candidacy is up to Megawati

Semarang, C Java (Antara) - Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri will decide whether Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo will run for president in the 2014 General Elections, according to party central board chairwoman Puan Maharani. "It is up to the party's chairwoman to decide who will be the presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2014 General Elections," she said here on Friday, while attending the inauguration of Ganjar Pranowo and Heru Sudjatmoko as Central Java Governor and Vice Governor, respectively, for the 2013-18 period. PDIP put in place an internal mechanism for the selection of next year's presidential candidate, Maharani explained, after a consensus on the matter was reached at party's national meeting in Bandung. "Jokowi is a member of PDIP and needs to follow the party's rules and game plan. If he wants to run for president, he must have the backing of PDIP," she said. Maharani stated that Jokowi's prospects for presidential candidacy were unlikely to be affected by the support of the party's regional branches. She said the party's regional branches had already agreed with the decision taken at national meeting that Megawati Soekarnoputri would choose the presidential candidate. On a separate subject, Maharani also urged the newly inaugurated gubernatorial pair of Pranowo and Sudjatmoko to work as well as possible to uphold the party's good reputation. "From now on his (Pranowo) duties are as a Governor. Therefore, he first needs to carry out his duties well. More responsibilities will be later assigned accordingly by the party," she said. (*)