Ani Yudhoyono to run for president

JAKARTA. The Democratic Party has started to prepare its ultimate member and founder, former first lady Kristiani Herrawati, popularly known as Ani Yudhoyono, to run in the 2019 presidential election.

Ani's picture announcing her as the "Democratic Party Presidential Candidate 2019" had recently spread through social media, raising questions about the possibility she would run in the election supported by the party she helped found with her husband, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

The picture shows her in a blue dress in front of the national flag, smiling and waving her hand, with the words "Ani Yudhoyono, 2019 Democratic Party presidential candidate" beside her. There is also a slogan, "Lanjutkan! (continue), which Yudhoyono made famous during his campaign for his second term in the 2009 presidential election, and a hashtag #AniYudhoyono2019 in the picture.

Democratic party spokesman lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul confirmed that that the picture was made by the party's team.

There had been input from the public for the former president to run again in the election during the party's Java tour lead by Yudhoyono. However, Yudhoyono who had lead Indonesia for 10 years, realized that the law did not allow him to run for the third time, Ruhut said.

"Our people are very smart. They said, 'If Bapak [Yudhoyono] cannot run again, why not Ibu Ani?" That is based on the people's request," Ruhut said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Ani's name was included as a 2014 presidential candidate, but Yudhoyono announced that his wife would not run in the election.

Ani had also expressed her reluctance in her own biography. Ani wrote that a student visiting the State Palace once asked her if she would run in the election to replace Yudhoyono, just like US' Democratic Party Hillary Clinton who is following in her husband Bill Clinton's footsteps.

"I was shocked hearing that question. It was beyond my imagination. For me, being at SBY's side until he completed his duty was my goal and I am happy if I can reach it. If SBY is no longer president, then my most honorable position is being his wife, not being a president," she wrote as quoted by kompas.com.

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