The United Development Party (PPP) is scheduled to hold a national meeting this weekend during which it will deliberate who will be the party’s presidential candidate.
Deputy chairman of the party, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, said that the majority of party members would likely nominate party chairman Suryadharma Ali, who is also the Religious Affairs Minister.
Lukman,however, also said that other party members wanted alternative candidates such as former vice president Jusuf Kalla.
“Other than the party chairman, we need to introduce other names to promote,” Lukman said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Lukman said that the party would not likely announce its presidential candidate during the weekend meeting.
Responding to a possible presidential bid by Suryadharma, pro-pluralism activists said that they were concerned, given the minister’s penchant for making inflammatory statements.
Suryadharma has called the Shiite branch of Islam heretical because it deviated from mainstream Islamic teachings. He also made similar comments about the Islamic Ahmadiyah sect.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Tue, February 04 2014, 7:49 AM
Suryadharma, JK PPP presidential candidates
- Written by: Redaktur
