Aa Gym invites Susilo, Nurwahid

Aa Gym invites Susilo, Nurwahid

JAKARTA: Popular Muslim preacher Abdullah "Aa Gym" Gymnastiar
invited founder and presidential candidate of the Democratic
Party Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and chairman of the Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS) Hidayat Nurwahid to his sermon at Istiqlal
Grand Mosque here on Sunday.

Gymnastiar quickly denied that his sermon themed: "The Beauty
of Togetherness" had political overtones.

"It's a routine thing. I invited Pak Nurwahid and Pak SBY
through telephone and SMS (short message service). Thankfully
they are coming," he told reporters.

The invitation came as speculation grew that Susilo and
Nurwahid were intensifying communication with each other ahead of
the presidential election.

PKS and Democratic Party look certain to dominate the Jakarta
legislature and are now placed sixth and fifth respectively in
the national vote tabulation following the April 5 general
election.

A recent survey concluded that the success of the two parties
in the election reflected people's desire for change. --Antara