Anies said he did not consider Prabowo his political enemy and that his competition in the last presidential election was part of the democratic process.
unner-up in the Feb. 14 presidential election Anies Baswedan said on Tuesday that the race for the country's top office was complete following the Constitutional Court verdict, and that now he was ready to engage with president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
Anies said he did not consider Prabowo his political enemy and that the competition in the last presidential election was part of the democratic process.
"If the time comes, of course we're ready to discuss, exchange views and meet. It never occurred to me that it would be an endless battle. There must be an end to this," Anies told reporters after a meeting with leadership of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in South Jakarta on Tuesday.
Anies, who served as Jakarta governor between 2017 and 2022, also congratulated Prabowo for his presidential election win and urged him to work toward improving the quality of democracy in Indonesia.
"I made the call yesterday after the court ruling…we all need to protect democracy and we want the transition of power to go smoothly," Anies said.
The Constitutional Court on Monday rejected challenges from losing candidates Anies and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo seeking a rerun of February's presidential election and the disqualification of winner Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, bringing an end to all election disputes.
The court ruled that there was no evidence of systematic fraud and presidential "meddling", nor that state bodies, regional officials and social assistance had been mobilized to sway polls in the Feb. 14 election.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.