REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) has rejected the Democrat Party's offer to run for presidency in 2019. Chief of the vice president's expert team, Sofyan Wanandi, stated that Kalla wanted to retire.

"Yes, he has rejected it. He is not willing to do so. He has informed the Democrat Party that he would no longer run for presidency. He wants to retire. Of course, he will help President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)," Sofyan stated at the Vice Presidential Office here on Wednesday.

Also read: Jusuf Kalla not to contest for 2019 general election

When asked to comment on the Democrat Party's approach to nominate Kalla as the presidential candidate and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) as his running mate, Sofyan noted that Kalla has not thought about it yet.

"It is their right to make political maneuvers. We cannot say anything. We have informed him, and Mr. JK has also informed us directly," he remarked.

Kalla's name had been considered by the party for nomination as president in 2019. The Democrat Party had held an internal discussion to nominate Kalla for presidency.

On Monday (June 25), Kalla met Chief of the Democrat Party Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). Secretary General of the Democrat Party Hinca Panjaitan revealed that he did not rule out the possibility that the meeting will lead to a discourse on Kalla-AHY pair in the 2019 presidential election.

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