"He is (Ma'ruf Amin) the right choice for Jokowi and the Indonesian nation," NU Chairman Said Aqil Siradj stated.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) has expressed gratitude over the election of Ma`ruf Amin as Joko Widodo (Jokowi`s) running mate for the 2019 presidential election.

"This is God`s destiny. Amin is an ambitious person," Indonesia`s largest Islamic organization (NU) chairman Said Aqil Siradj stated here on Thursday.

He revealed that Amin had a lot of experiences in other fields, including in the fields of politics, state affairs, as well as sharia economy.

"He is the right choice for Jokowi and the Indonesian nation," he noted.

Amin is the chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and the supreme leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

"He was the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) speaker, the House of Representatives (DPR) speaker, the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker, and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres)," he remarked.

Jokowi earlier called his combination with Amin as a nationalist-religious mix.

"We complement each other as a nationalist-religious pair," the incumbent president revealed at a press conference after meeting with leaders of coalition parties here on Thursday evening.

He stated that it was a nationalist-religious concept that he would offer to the people across the country in the presidential election in April next year.

He remarked that his target was not region by region but the entire people of Indonesia "from Sabang (west) to Merauke (east)."

Jokowi held the press conference after announcing his decision to pick Amin as his running mate for the election next year, which had been approved by nine coalition member parties.

He stated that all chiefs of the parties had put their signatures to show their approval of the decision on a document that he also showed to newsmen at the conference.

"Tomorrow, at 9 a.m., we will come to the General Election Commission office to register along with coalition party leaders, secretaries general, and supporters," he revealed.

Reporting by Sigit Pinardi
Editing by Azis Kurmala, Bustanudin

Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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