Indonesia’s president picks a Muslim scholar as his running mate
Ma’ruf Amin’s beliefs are worryingly changeable
MA’RUF AMIN cuts a demure figure. Short and smiling, he dresses in sandals, sarong and skullcap. The 75-year-old Muslim cleric is likely to be Indonesia’s next vice-president. He and his running-mate, Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s president, who is usually known as Jokowi, have a 20-percentage-point lead in the polls ahead of the election in April. He says governing with Jokowi will be like “a game of badminton doubles”. When the president goes toward the net, Mr Amin should drop back. When one steps left, the other moves right.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A cleric for all seasons”
Asia December 1st 2018
- Cheered on by China, Taiwan’s opposition drubs the ruling party
- Singapore’s ruling party reveals the next prime minister
- Indonesia’s president picks a Muslim scholar as his running mate
- A decade after the Mumbai attacks, India remains vulnerable
- A state election signals disaster for Australia’s ruling party
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