South Sumatra Students Support Prabowo-Hatta Pair-Up

Palembang, S Sumatra (Antara) - A group of students staged a rally here on Wednesday to express support for presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential candidate Hatta Rajasa for the July 9 poll. The students who claimed to be members of the National Student Network unfurled a banner and spoke for 30 minutes alongside the flyover near the South Sumatra provincial police station. The rally was held following a long discussion among the students, the rally's field coordinator Wilga said. "After conducting a study, we agreed to support Prabowo and Hatta as presidential and vice presidential candidates in the next elections," he said. He said Prabowo has a good national vision, strong integrity, and clear programs, while Hatta Rajasa's performance as chief economic minister in the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono government was strong. "We believe that they will be able to move together in the next presidential election," he added. Prabowo is currently chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and Hatta is general chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). At its national leadership meeting on Wednesday, PAN formally decided to coalesce with the Gerindra and support the latter's presidential candidate Prabowo. "We have by acclamation agreed to coalesce with the Gerindra and nominate Prabowo as presidential candidate," Hatta said. Hatta added that the meeting attendees had also agreed to nominate him as the running mate of Prabowo. (*)