Declaration of Jokowi's Candidacy Benefits other Parties

Jakarta (Antara) - Joko Widodo's declaration as a presidential candidate for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) will offer a clear political map, while benefiting other political parties, a political scientist said. "The declaration makes the political map in the country clear and will be used by other political parties to prepare strategies in the face of the possibility of PDIP's victory," political scientist Siti Zuhro of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said here on Saturday. Before the declaration by Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, to become the PDIP's presidential candidate, the political constellation was marked by speculation over who the PDIP would choose as its presidential hopeful. Besides Jokowi, whose electability is rising, according to surveys, PDIP General Chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri and PDIP Central Executive Board Chairperson Puan Maharani were often seen as possible PDIP presidential candidates. Siti Zuhro said the declaration of Jokowi as PDIP's presidential candidate on Friday would help political parties to take decisive steps, including establishing coalitions prior to the 2014 general elections. "PDIP rivals will strengthen their positions after Jokowi's presidential nomination declaration. All parties are vying to win the elections," she stressed. In the meantime, the Golkar Party has welcomed the PDIP's decision to nominate Jakarta governor Joko Widodo as its presidential candidate for the July 9 elections. The party's associate chairman, Hajrianto Thoyari, said here on Friday that the political map was now clear, following the nomination of Jokowi. "Before the declaration, we could only guess who would be PDIP's candidate. Would it be Jokowi or Megawati? Yesterday, it was still uncertain," he noted in a written statement. (*)