Indonesia presidential candidate Anies Baswedan picks head of Islamic party as running mate

Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan trails the top two candidates vying to become Indonesia's next president. - PHOTO: AFP

JAKARTA, Sept 2 (Reuters): Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on Saturday named the chairman of Indonesia's largest Islamic party as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, a move aimed at boosting his popularity in this Muslim majority country.

Opinion polls have forecast the election to be a close race between Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who have both received the support of the current president, Joko Widodo.