HMI Calls on Candidates to Focus on Marine, Agricultural Sectors

Padang, W Sumatra (Antara) - The Islamic Students Association (HMI), has asked the two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates to give priority to the marine and agricultural sectors in the development of the national economy. "The presidential candidates should focus on the marine and agricultural sectors," member of the HMI executive board in West Sumatra Harry Effendi Iskandar said here on Saturday. Today the development of the marine and agricultural sectors had not topped the list of the government's priorities, he said. "As a matter of fact, the nation has a great chance to develop the marine and agricultural sectors," he said. He noted that the development of the marine and agricultural sectors currently faced various technical problems including limited human resources. Therefore, the two sectors must be high on the list of the next government's priorities, he said. Indonesia will organize a free and democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by only two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla. Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Jokowi is Jakarta's governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla (JK), is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party. The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: the PDIP, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience (Hanura) Party, the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrats Party (Nasdem). The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Moon and Star Party (PBB), and the Golkar Party. (*) Reporting by Derizon Yazid EDITED BY INE