REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has acknowledged the competition between two party leaders vying to become his running mate in the 2019 presidential race. Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) and Romahurmuziy (Rommy) have been floated by their respective parties as possible running mates for Jokowi, who is seeking reelection.

"The two general chairmen of their political parties, Cak Imin and Rommy, are now competing to become Jokowi's running mate in the coming elections," the President said as he opened the Fourth National Meeting of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement Association (IKA PMII) in Jakarta on Friday.

Cak Imin is the general chairman of the Nation's Awakening Party (PKB) while Rommy is the leader of the United Development Party (PPP). The two parties have declared support for Jokowi in the upcoming presidential elections.

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During his speech, Jokowi acknowledged Cak Imin as an alumnus of the PMII. The organization has also given its support to the incumbent president.

"He (Cak Imin) has assisted me so much," the President said. "His assistance has been both tangible and intangible."

The assistance alluded by Jokowi could include the establishment of "Join" command posts. "Join" is a contraction of Jokowi and Cak Imin's names, and refers to their possible pairing for the coming elections.

Rommy and Cak Imin's parties were both born out of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdhatul Ulama (NU).

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