President Megawati Chooses Leader of Largest Muslim Group as Her Running Mate

(Jihad Watch, Reuters) Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Thursday chose the
leader of the country’s largest Muslim group as vice presidential candidate on her ticket for the July 5 election. The choice of Hasyim
Muzadi, chairman of the moderate, 40-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is seen as an effort to boost Megawati’s waning
popularity after her party, the secular Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), lost significant ground in April 5 parliamentary
elections. Megawati faces a tough battle in the July 5 presidential election against former security minister and ex-general Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, who has been topping opinion polls, and former military chief Wiranto who is the nominee of the Golkar party
that did best in the parliamentary elections. “Nahdlatul Ulama has no plan to set up a religious state but it wants to see religious values
shine across this country,” he said, adding that Megawati first courted him six months ago. “The combination of me and Megawati
will unite ‘freedom’ and ‘God is Greatest’. The two should not be on different sides,” said Muzadi, referring to the respective
rallying cries of the nationalist and Islamic camps. Before the announcement, PDI-P deputy chairman Roy Janis said the choice of
Muzadi was aimed at bringing solid Muslim credentials to Megawati’s re-election bid. Indonesia is the world’s most populous
Muslim country.