Indonesia president picks top cleric as running mate in 2019 election

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chosen Ma'ruf Amin, the head of Indonesian Ulema Council, as his running mate for the 2019 election, he told a press conference on Thursday.

Amin, 75, is "a wise religious figure", Widodo said when describing his pick, adding that all nine parties in his coalition agreed with him.

Widodo and Amin will formally register to the election commission on Friday. The Ulema Council is Indonesia's top Muslim clerical body.

(Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Maikel Jefriando; Editing by Nick Macfie)