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Retired military soldiers united under the League of Upholders of Indonesian Independence (IPKI) on Monday announced their support for former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto in the presidential election.

Lt. Gen. (ret.) R. Soeprapto, chairman of IPKI, along with seven other IPKI officials, met with Megawati at her home in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Speaking after the meeting, Soeprapto said the members of IPKI would support any presidential candidate who would fight to return the Constitution to its original text.

Soeprapto said between 1999 and 2002, the 1945 Constitution had been amended by the House of Representatives, which eliminated “the real value of social fairness in the original text.”

“We are here to pray for the success of Megawati and Prabowo in the [July 8] presidential election,” he said .

Prabowo had earlier announced that along with his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), he would lobby to have the Constitution returned to its original text.

However, Soeprapto said that IPKI would also advise its member to support the presidential candidate pair of Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto, who have also vowed to erase all amendments made to the Constitution.

IPKI is the second association of retired soldiers who have vowed to back Megawati after a group of retired Army generals announced their support last month in Bekasi, West Java.

Megawati’s campaign team is also chaired by a former military intelligence officer, Theo Syafei, and includes Maj. Gen. (ret.) Adang Ruchiatna and Lt. Gen. (ret.) M. Yasin as members.

Retired soldiers and generals are also members of Kalla’s campaign team, known as the “Garuda Team.” Chairman Basri Sidehabi is a former deputy chief of the Air Force, while Navy Chief Adm. (ret.) Bernard Ken Sondakh is a member.

The campaign team of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono also boasts several retired military and police generals, including former Military Chief Marshal (ret.) Djoko Suyantyo and former National Police Chief Gen. (ret.) Sutanto.