Presumptive presidential candidate Anies Baswedan and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar are hopeful that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) will continue to back their candidacy.

Anies’ sudden decision to name Muhaimin of the National Awakening Party (PKB) as his vice-presidential candidate earlier this month in a deal that was brokered by NasDem (National Democrat) Party chairman Surya Paloh has sparked turbulence within the Coalition for Change and Unity (KPP). The Democratic Party, which had expected to secure the VP slot for its chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, was quick to quit the alliance and the PKS reopened internal discussions over whether to remain in the coalition.

In a bid to keep the PKS in their camp, Anies and Muhaimin, along with an entourage of NasDem elites, visited PKS headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon. It was their first official meeting since the opposition party decided to skip the declaration made in Surabaya that Anies and Muhaimin would be running mates.

Speaking to the attendees, Anies introduced Muhaimin to PKS members as his vice-presidential candidate, noting that that he had fulfilled his mandate, granted by the founding members of the alliance, to choose his own running mate.

“Winning is one thing, but executing [our mission] is another. We think [we now have] a competent [figure who can] support us, God willing, in realizing what we have planned: [creating] changes to bring about justice,” Anies said.

Despite the pair already having secured enough backing from NasDem and the PKB to pass the presidential nomination threshold of 20 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives, Anies stressed that they “will not leave the PKS behind”. He said he hoped that the PKS would keep supporting the pair.

Read also: NasDem-PKB deal redraws alliances for 2024

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