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Anies-Jokowi rapprochement
The second wave of the pandemic, driven by the Delta variant, has put the capital city’s healthcare system in danger.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. (JP/Seto Wardhana/JP/Rafaela Chandra)
G
iven the ups and downs in his relationship with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan surprised many when, on July 7, he called on the public to support and follow the President in the fight against COVID-19.
His detractors may suspect Anies is hiding his real motives, perhaps seeking to boost his image ahead of the 2024 presidential race, while his supporters may be disappointed by the governor’s about-face.
Like it or not, Anies has apparently made peace with it. The COVID-19 situation in Jakarta is the country’s most dire, and he cannot protect the city singlehandedly.
A recent survey by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) found that a third of Jakartans rejected the central government-sponsored vaccination program, the highest provincial level of vaccine hesitancy in the country. As governor, Anies must collaborate closely with the central government, especially the President, to accelerate the vaccine rollout.
According to Anies, 5.4 million of Jakarta’s 10.56 million residents have been vaccinated. The city has to inoculate at least 7 million people to achieve herd immunity.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak early last year, Jakarta has been a consistent epicenter of the pandemic. As of Thursday, the city had recorded a cumulative total of 714,601 COVID-19 cases, nearly a quarter of the national figure.
The second wave of the pandemic, driven by the Delta variant, has put the city’s healthcare system in danger. On Thursday, Jakarta reported more than 100,000 active cases – a result of recent large-scale testing and tracing – while the hospital occupancy rate was 91 percent. The Delta variant is being held responsible for Jakarta’s skyrocketing cases.
In an interview with CNN Indonesia TV on July 7, Anies urged all Jakartans to stand behind the President and put political differences aside. “Jakarta residents must be united. Under whose leadership? Under the direction of Indonesian President Bapak Joko Widodo. It is he who is leading us all in implementing emergency public activity restrictions [PPKM Darurat],” Anies said.
The high rate of vaccine hesitancy in Jakarta may be an echo of the polarized gubernatorial election in 2017, which saw Anies triumph over Jokowi’s ally Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. Ties between Jokowi and Anies, who joined forces in the 2014 presidential campaign, deteriorated after Jokowi dismissed Anies as education minister in 2016.
Whatever the motive behind his statement, Anies is absolutely right. In a crisis of this scale, the nation needs unity more than ever. Like Anies said, the coronavirus knows no political views. Politicization of the pandemic will only aggravate the contagion.
Anies’ rapprochement with Jokowi is a display of statesmanship. Putting aside political differences, as well as the political agenda for the succession year of 2024, will allow elite politicians and everyday people to focus on efforts to cope with this deadly virus.
