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PDI-P, PKB in talks over possible Anies reelection bid in Jakarta
For such a pairing to work, analysts say, the two camps must set aside their ideological differences and stand against the candidate championed by the pro-government coalition backed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
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Then-presidential candidate Anies Baswedan waves to a crowd of supporters on Jan. 27, 2024, during a campaign event in Banda Aceh, Aceh, with just a weeks left of campaigning until the Feb. 14 general election. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
The nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is in talks with the Islam-based National Awakening Party (PKB) about the possibility of joining forces to support opposition figure Anies Baswedan for reelection as governor of Jakarta later this year. But for such a pairing to work, analysts say, the two parties must set aside their ideological differences with Anies supporters to stand against the candidate championed by the pro-government coalition backed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
Both parties ostensibly support the Jokowi administration, but they and the outgoing President were on opposing sides of the three-way February presidential race, which Anies ran in and lost to president-elect Prabowo Subianto. The PDI-P had nominated presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo while the PKB had backed party member Muhaimin Iskandar for the vice presidency as Anies’ running mate.
PDI-P executive Ahmad Basarah said his party had been engaging in preliminary discussions with the PKB about the possibility of supporting an Anies reelection bid in November.
"Earlier in our informal discussion, I told Muhaimin that we may forge political cooperation in the Jakarta election," Basarah told reporters on Saturday.
But he also said that even if the PKB nominated Anies and agreed to work with the PDI-P, the two parties would still need to discuss how the partnership would work, including who Anies’ running mate would be, signaling that the PDI-P might offer a name.
Basarah’s remarks came after PKB deputy chair Jazilul Fawaid claimed last week that Anies had been seeking the PKB’s nomination.
Talk of the PDI-P and Anies joining forces for the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election gained traction after party heir apparent Puan Maharani said last week that Anies was a “compelling” candidate for Jakarta governor as the party was seeking a “more realistic” approach in the Jakarta race.
