Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairperson of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership Haedar Nashir insisted that presidential candidate number 01 Joko Widodo (Jokowi) meet with presidential candidate number 02 Prabowo at the earliest to placate tensions arising after the vote count recapitulation by the General Election Commission (KPU).

"The Muhammadiyah central executive board has, since the start, and also Islamic organizations meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla have put forth an appeal and invitation that Jokowi and Prabowo meet," Nashir remarked at a media meeting in Jakarta on Thursday.

Surmising from the statements of Jokowi and Prabowo, Nashir believes that the duo are attempting to establish friendship.

"It might be a matter of time. Yesterday, we heard President Jokowi conveying a positive statement and an invitation to end the tensions in this situation. Moreover, Prabowo and Sandi also said that all should follow the constitutional path, and there should be no violence and all should remain peaceful," Nashir noted.

Nashir has also invited all national leaders and citizens to return to their roots and stand united in diversity.

"Harboring differing political choices is a democratic right, and we all have to respect each other. Political dynamics during the campaign period until the election and thereafter are part of our political and democratic expressions," Nashir pointed out.

Nashir further stressed that all Indonesian citizens must conclude the 2019 elections in a responsible, mature manner in line with the Constitution while drawing reference to the fourth principle of "Wisdom of wisdom in representative deliberation."

"It means that the 2019 election process should be concluded with the people harboring a wise, smart, responsible, and mature outlook and reuniting as a nation's extended family," Nashir emphasized.

At the start, Nashir also reiterated that no Muhammadiyah residents were involved in the action on May 21-22.

"Muhammadiyah, especially with the name of the organization, has no one involved in the action," Nashir added.


Translator: Eliswan Azly
Editor: Suharto
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