JAKARTA. Alumni of the Islamic Students Association (HMI), which is considered to be the country’s largest and most influential student organization, offered Golkar Party chairman and presidential candidate Aburizal Bakrie its support during a meeting on Thursday.

“I feel honored to have you here,” Aburizal said to his guests, which included Islamic Students Alumni Association (KAHMI) secretary-general Subandriyo as well as association executives Fuad Bawazier, Laode Kamaluddin and Sulastomo.

Aburizal was accompanied by Golkar deputy chairman Fadel Muhammad, deputy secretary-general Rully Chaerul Azwar, executive Fuad Hasan Mansyur and deputy chief treasurer Erwin Aksa.

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The KAHMI members also conveyed that they also supported three other HMI alumni and potential vice presidential candidates: former vice president Jusuf Kalla, former House of Representatives speaker Akbar Tanjung and former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD.

The KAHMI members also gave Aburizal a copy of the recommendations made during the organization’s 9th National Congress in Pekanbaru, Riau, in December, 2012. One of the recommendations stated that Kalla, Akbar and Mahfud met the criteria as national leaders.

When asked who among the three could be his running mate, Aburizal named Mahfud; “because Kalla and Akbar are Golkar members.” Mahfud is formerly a lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB).

“We are going to have more discussions with Mahfud to come to an agreement,” Aburizal said.

Among the top three presidential candidates — the Gerindra Party’s Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) Joko Widodo — Aburizal held the lowest electability, according to pollsters.

Editor: Asnil Amri