PDIP Officially Announces Jokowi as its Presidential Candidate

Jakarta (Antara) - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) has officially nominated Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as its presidential candidate in the upcoming election. Chief of the PDIP's central executive board Puan Maharani announced Jokowi's candidacy for the presidency at the office of the party's central executive board here on Friday. Puan said PDIP's general chief Megawati Soekarnoputri decided to nominate Jokowi for the presidency in accordance with the party's articles of association and the result of the party's congress held in Bali in 2010. Co-chief of the PDIP's central executive board Maruarar Sirait said the decision showed Megawati's statesmanship. Sirait said Megawati showed her statesmanship when she gave the ticket for the 2014 presidential candidate to Jokowi. Megawati was the holder of the party's mandate to determine the party's presidential candidate, he added. "The election of Jokowi as the party's presidential candidate proved that Megawati was not ambitious," he said. Jokowi said earlier in the day that he was ready to run for the president. "I have received a mandate from the PDIP Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri to run for the president," he said, when visiting Marunda, North Jakarta. (*) Reporting by Riza Harahap