By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent

JAKARTA: The wearing of headscarves has emerged as a hot issue in Indonesia ahead of next month's presidential election.

As parties gear up for the soft campaign which kicks off today, the campaign team for Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and his running mate, former general Wiranto, has published a booklet about the candidates' wives being pious Muslims who don headscarves all the time.

This is in contrast to the wives of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his vice-presidential candidate Boediono, both of whom do not wear head coverings.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.