PKS Declares Support for Prabowo's Presidential Bid

Jakarta (Antara) - The Islamic Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) declared its support for Lieutenant General (retired) Prabowo Subianto's presidential bid in the upcoming presidential election, party's Chairman Anis Matta said here on Saturday. "We support Prabowo and have proposed three leaders from our party as his probable vice presidential candidate. The three names are Hidayat Nurwahid, Ahmad Heryawan and I," Anis said. On May 14, the People's Mandate Party (PAN) announced it will join the political coalition formed by the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party, with its Chief Patron Prabowo Subianto as the presidential candidate. PAN also named its Chairman Hatta Radjasa as the vice presidential candidate for Prabowo. However, Gerindra has not yet announced the name of Prabowo's running mate in the upcoming election. The other presidential candidate Joko Widodo, who is supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Democrat (Nasdem) party also has not announced the name of the vice presidential candidate. (*) Reporting by Muhammad Arief Iskandar Translating and Editing by Amie Fenia Arimbi