Biggest Islamic Organization to Support New Government

Jakarta (Antara) -- Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), one of Indonesia's biggest Islamic organizations, has said it will support the new government that will be established soon. "We always put the constitution above everything else. Whoever is elected is the people's choice, so we support him," the General Chairman of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), KH Said Aqil Siroj, stated here on Saturday while receiving the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) at his office. Led by Chairman Zulkifli Hasan, the MPR leadership were at the PBNU office to invite the organization to the presidential inauguration ceremony at the parliament building. On October 20, Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla are scheduled to be inaugurated as the country's new president and vice president, respectively, to replace the current president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and vice president, Boediono. The Widodo-Kalla duo won the presidential election on July 9. Siroj noted that the succession of national leadership reflected the country's successful execution of a democratic system. "Our democracy is extraordinary. We have successfully implemented it," he remarked. (*) Reporting by Sigit Pinardi