Presidential candidates do more glad-handing
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.