WIRANTO: 'I WAS GOOD TEACHER TO SBY'

Magelang, Central Java, May 19 (ANTARA) - Vice presidential hopeful from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) Wiranto said he used to be Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)'s superior and thus could be said to have been a "good teacher" to the president.

"President Yudhoyono was my junior and my subordinate, and thus I used to be a good teacher to him," Wiranto told thousands of Tegalrejo Islamic boarding school (Ponpes) students in Magelang, Central Java, on Tuesday.

Wiranto and presidential aspirant Jusuf Kalla visited the Tegalrejo Islamic boarding school to meet with its leader KH Abdul Rahman Chudori and the students to ask for their support in the upcoming July 8 presidential election.

On the occasion Wiranto admitted that before the presidential election in 2004 when he was a presidential candidate, he came to the same school to seek support but he failed to become president at the time.

Wiranto said his failure to become president at the time was not because of ineffective prayers of the Tegalrejo Islamic boarding school students and the leaders but instead it was not his luck.

"People say Wiranto is inconsistent because in the past he was a presidential candidate, now he is a vice presidential candidate, and later he will be village head candidate," Wiranto himself said with a chuckle.

According to Wiranto, he was at present trying to find an opportunity to be a good leader of the nation.

"Jusuf Kalla and I are old, and we do not try to seek position but an opportunity to lead this nation in a better way," Wiranto said.

He explained that Jusuf Kalla as a national leader had passed through a long way in his carrier as a minister several times and as vice president at present.

"Thus, Kalla's desire to be the president this time is because his knowledge as vice president is more than sufficient," Wiranto said, calling on the Tegalrejo Islamic boarding school caretakers to pray for him and Jusuf Kalla in the election.