Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd L, front) and his running mate, senior Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin (3rd L, front), submit documents in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 10, 2018. Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his former rival in the 2014 general election, retired general Prabowo Subianto, officially registered their candidacy in the country's electoral commission on Friday. (Xinhua/Veri Sanovri)
JAKARTA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his former rival in the 2014 general election, retired general Prabowo Subianto, officially registered their candidacy in the country's electoral commission on Friday.
President Widodo picked up senior Islamic cleric Ma'aruf Amin as his running mate while Prabowo chose to partner with Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, an entrepreneur and deputy governor of Jakarta.
The 57-year-old President Widodo came into office in 2014 on a platform of battling corruption, bolstering investment, constructing a massive infrastructure and beefing up education.
During his period, Widodo cut fuel subsidies, allocated more state budget to infrastructures and social programs.
"Democracy is not a war, democracy is not a hostility, but a contest of ideas, track record of achievement," said Widodo after his registration at the commission office.
"I hear that Prabowo declared his running mate last night, we congratulate him and his supporting political parties on that," he added.
Widodo's running mate Amin, 75, is the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the highest Muslim organization in the country. The cleric has played a strategic role in the rise of tolerance in the world's largest Muslim nation.
Widodo and Amin are supported by a coalition of nine political parties, including the largest Democratic Party of Struggle, the second largest Golkar Party, the National Democratic Party and the National Awakening Party.
Prabowo is former head of the country's army strategic reserve and he has vowed to avert economic inequality.
"We want to be in power on behalf of the people, we want there is no hunger and poor people in Indonesia," Prabowo said after the registration.
Prabowo and Sandiaga are supported by a coalition of four political parties, including the third largest Great Indonesia Movement Party, the Democratic Party chaired by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Prosperous and Justice Party and the National Mandate Party.
