VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Some 10 leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) held a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Merdeka Palace, in Jakarta, Wednesday, for discussion on preparations for the presidential inauguration on October 20, 2019.

"On behalf of myself and the institution, I express my gratitude to President Joko Widodo for inviting us here for consultation. Today, it is our initial task to prepare for (the presidential) inauguration," MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo stated.

Attendees are the meeting also comprised Deputy Chairmen of MPR, specifically Ahmad Basarah from the PDIP, Ahmad Muzani from Gerindra, Lestari Moerdijat from NasDdem, Jazilul Fawaid from PKB, Syarif Hasan from the Democratic Party, Hidayat Nur Wahid from the PKS, Zulkifli Hasan from PAN, Arsul Sani from PPP, and Fadel Muhammad from DPD.

On the occasion, President Jokowi was accompanied by Minister/State Secretary Pratikno and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.

Zulkifli Hasan, the former MPR chairman, emphasized that this year’s presidential inauguration should be more successful than that five years ago.

Fadel Mohammad of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) remarked that during the meeting with the president, an agreement was reached on the inauguration's exact time, agenda, and speech.

Jokowi was re-elected as Indonesia's president for the 2019-2024 period based on the April-17 presidential election results.

Jokowi and his running mate, Ma'ruf Amin, chairman of the Ulema Council (MUI), will be inaugurated as Indonesia's president and vice president for the 2019-2024 term in Jakarta on October 20, 2019.

Jokowi garnered 55.5 percent of the votes as against 44.5 percent secured by his rival, Prabowo Subianto in the 2019 election, a replay of the contentious 2014 presidential election that exposed a deeper national divide, as Jokowi and Subianto went head-to-head.

A total of 10 political parties grouped in the Indonesia Working Coalition (KIK) -- the ruling PDIP, PKB, PPP, Golkar, Nasdem, PSI, Perindo, PKPI, Hanura, and the latest one, PBB -- supported Jokowi during the presidential election. Gerindra, PKS, the Democratic Party, and PAN had supported Prabowo during the presidential election. (ANTARA)