By Pizaro Gozali and Erric Permana
JAKARTA (AA) – Indonesia's President Joko Widodo officially appointed Ma'ruf Amin his vice-presidential candidate to run alongside him in the 2019 presidential election.
“I have decided, after being approved by the parties’ coalition, that my vice president candidate for 2019-2024 is Prof. Dr. Ma'ruf Amin, ” the president told a news conference Thursday with the chairman and secretary general of the governing coalition.
Joko Widodo said that he chose 75-year-old Ma'ruf for his experience as a prominent cleric and lawmaker.
Ma'ruf has served as the chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and Advisory Leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the world’s largest Muslim organization.