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Support of Islamist, 'identity politics' party puts Anies in quandary: Analysts
Anies is still plagued by the public's past perception of his using identity politics to win the Jakarta governorship in 2017, and while he has been making some effort to try and recast his image, analysts say his ties to the Ummah Party hasn't done him any favors.
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Then-Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (left) and NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh (right) speak to reporters on July 24, 2019 at NasDem headquarters in Central Jakarta. (kompas.com/Ryana Aryadita Umasugi)
Soon after announcing his presidential bid, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan has intensified his efforts to recast his image as a pluralist leader.
The 53-year-old politician, seen as the strongest opposition figure to take on pro-government candidates in the 2024 election, has yet to recover from the hangover of the highly divisive 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial race, in which he was accused of riding a wave of Islamic conservatism to beat the Christian incumbent seeking reelection.
As the election nears, the Muslim intellectual educated in the United States, has sought to expand his traditional voter base among nationalist and Muslim voters by actions that could neutralize the damning label of “the father of identity politics” slapped on him by his most ardent political detractors.
For example, as part of his nationwide political “safari”, Anies visited a local church in Papua, where he was bestowed the Christian name Yohanes.
But his recent appearance at the national congress in Jakarta of a minor Islamist party, the Ummah Party, which has openly declared itself as a manifestation of identity politics, analysts say, has put Anies in a political quandary.
Political ‘liability’
