Presidential candidates do more glad-handing
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The two presidential candidates camps intensified their efforts on Saturday to garner more support nationwide as the Sept. 20 presidential election runoff draws near.
In Jakarta, vice presidential hopeful Hasyim Muzadi visited on Saturday, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chief patron of the National Awakening Party (PKB), at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta. Gus Dur was hospitalized a few days ago after his insulin level surged above normal.
The visit was apparently aimed at mending Hasyim's strained relationship with Gus Dur, as well as garnering support from him and his partner in the election.
Gus Dur managed to "joke a lot," Hasyim said, Antara reported on Saturday. "The only thing we talked seriously about was the recent release of Malaysian former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim," he added.
Gus Dur previously led the Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization now chaired by Hasyim.
On the same day presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, from Hasyim's rival camp, visited Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, where he met Muslim clerics. He reiterated his promise that he would return peace to the strife-torn province should he be elected.
Earlier in the day, Susilo met with the Christian community in Medan, North Sumatra province, where he vowed to eradicate chronic corruption in the country. The same promise was made by his running mate Jusuf Kalla in Padang, West Sumatra province.
In Banjarmasin, Central Kalimantan province, Golkar Party leader Akbar Tandjung again drummed up support for Megawati. Speaking during the declaration of the province's Nationhood Coalition that supports Megawati's bid for the presidency, Akbar said that supporting Megawati had been a party decision, so that all members had to support it or be punished.
Later in Jakarta Akbar attended a youth gathering that declared support for Megawati's bid for the presidency. The gathering was attended by some 2,000 youths, claiming that they represented 25 youth organizations nationwide.