"We expect that Indonesias future leader will maintain good relations with Vietnam. We appreciate Indonesias active role in building the ASEAN Community, while also maintaining the stability in the Southeast Asian region in the past few years," the ambassador said when interviewed at his residence in Central Jakarta.
Thuy also praised Indonesias effort in mediating conflicts, including the tension in the South China Sea between China and some ASEAN member countries.
Indonesia will hold a presidential election on July 9, 2014. On May 19, one of the presidential candidates Joko Widodo (Jokowi) from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and Jusuf Kalla from the Golkar party registered themselves as the presidential and vice presidential candidates, who will contest in the upcoming election.
Jokowi is currently the governor of Jakarta, while Jusuf Kalla is a former Vice President of Indonesia (2004-2009). PDIP has coalesced with the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Democrat party (Nasdem) and the Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura) for the presidential race.
On the same day, Prabowo Subianto from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and Hatta Rajasa from the Peoples Mandate Party (PAN) also formally declared themselves as presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.
The pair is supported by the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS), the Development United Party (PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Golkar.
The upcoming presidential election will likely be contested by only two pairs: Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla and Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa. Winner of the election will be announced on July 26. The new president will be inaugurated on October 20, 2014.
This years presidential election will be Indonesias third direct and democratic presidential election, since the countrys political reforms that occurred between the 1990s and the early 2000s.
EDITED BY INE
(A051/INE/B003)
Reporter: Amie Fenia Arimbi
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
