Jakartans from different walks of life give their two cents on the legacy of outgoing governor Anies Baswedan, who is entering a new stage in his political career as he steps up his bid for the country’s presidency in 2024.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has finally confirmed the rumors surrounding his political aspirations by accepting the National Democrat (NasDem) Party’s offer to endorse him as its presidential nominee for the 2024 election.

“I am ready to run for president. I humbly beg Allah for His blessing [in this endeavor] on behalf of the Indonesian people,” the 53-year-old politician announced on Oct. 3 at NasDem Tower in the Central Jakarta district of Menteng.

“With your prayers and blessings, insya Allah [God willing], this long road will be smooth instead of arduous. God will decide [who will win], as he has the final say [in all things],” he said.

Divisive election

Anies’ invocation of the divine was to be expected, as he defeated then-incumbent Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in 2017 in a divisive gubernatorial election marked by sectarian and ethnic tensions. The race culminated in the failure of Ahok’s reelection bid in April that year and his sentencing to two years in jail around three weeks later, when the South Jakarta District Court found him guilty of blasphemy for misquoting Quranic verses during a campaign speech.

Many supporters of the outgoing Christian, ethnic Chinese governor, who had been deputy during Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s governorship and handpicked to succeed him, believed that Basuki had been framed with trumped-up charges.

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