CIKEAS, KOMPAS.com - Presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla phoned presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to congratulate him on his victory based on the results of quick counts. Yudhoyono received Kalla’s phone call before a group of journalists at his Puri Cikeas Indah residence on Thursday.
     
Previously, Choel Mallarangeng, one of Yudhoyono’s campaign team members, asked reporters to standby because, he said, there would be a breaking news in a short while. Not long thereafter, Yudhoyono received Kalla’s phone call in front of tens of gathering reporters.
     
"As you witnessed just now, I have just contacted Pak (Mr) Kalla. He congratulated me, and with full respect I thanked him for his congratulation," Yudhoyono told reporters.
     
Even though the relations between the two up to now are still as the president and vice president, Yudhoyono considered Kalla’s phone call as an important gesture which involved two presidential candidates who competed in the 2009 presidential election.
     
"I am happy with this because the people could see that in politics there is a stiff competition, harsh but good relations could be maintained. This is a democracy in elections that should be developed in this country. Friendly communications should continue to be built so that democracy would continue to develop maturely," Yudhoyono said.
     
When he had the phone call with Kalla, Yudhoyono also said that the campaign teams of the two candidates might have contradictions and harshly competed, but they did all this because they were merely  carrying out their tasks.
     
"But now they have completed their tasks and I hope they would be united and build their friendly relations anew," he said. In the telephone conversation, the incumbent President told his vice president that Kalla had contributed his great services to the state and nation.
     
"In the future, I hope Pak Kalla would still be willing to do whatever he would based on his desire for the good of the nation and state," he said.