Political Parties Prioritize Cadres, Anies-Ahok Duet in Jakarta Pilkada Difficult to Realize

The discourse of pairing Anies and Ahok in the DKI Jakarta regional elections has emerged. Will this discourse come true?

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Anies Baswedan-Basuki Tjahaja Purnama meeting at Jakarta City Hall, Thursday (20/4/2017).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The discourse of pairing Anies Rasyid Baswedan and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok in the election for Governor of DKI Jakarta is considered difficult to materialize. Apart from being hampered by statutory regulations, the two also have different mass bases. It is also believed that political parties will prioritize internal cadres to be nominated as candidates for governor and deputy governor of DKI Jakarta.

The discourse on pairing Anies-Ahok in the DKI Jakarta Regional Head Election (Pilkada) was launched for the first time by the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Hasto Kristiyanto, Monday (6/5/ 2024). At that time, Hasto stated that Anies-Ahok was a figure proposed to PDI-P to be nominated as a candidate for regional head in DKI Jakarta. Both of them are also seen as figures who reflect the Indonesian character.

Political observer from Al-Azhar Indonesia University, Ujang Komarudin, when contacted from Jakarta on Thursday (9/5/2024), stated that as former rival candidates for Jakarta Governor in the 2017 Regional Election, Anies and Ahok are relatively difficult to compare for the 2024 Governor Election. They have different mass bases.

"So, the Anies-Ahok duo will not happen. The chance is difficult and challenging. In terms of ideology and mass base, they are different. They are like oil and water," said Ujang.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Citizens passed by campaign advertisements of the Governor and Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta around the Cikini area, Jakarta, on Monday (2/1/2017).

On the other hand, according to Ujang, since both Anies and Ahok have served as governors, neither of them would want to "downgrade" to become a candidate for vice governor. The PDI-P, as Ahok's political affiliation, will certainly make a strong effort to nominate its cadre to run as a candidate for governor (cagub), not vice governor.

Another obstacle to realizing the Anies-Ahok pair is the legal regulations. Article 7 Paragraph 2 Letter o of Law Number 6 of 2020 concerning the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors states that the requirement for running as a vice governor is to have never served as governor before.

"When Anies-Ahok was actually happening, one of them had to become a vice governor. And, according to the law, one of them cannot become a vice governor," said Ujang.

Moreover, in the context of candidacy, candidates who will run must be supported by a political party (political party) or a combination of political parties that controls at least 20 percent of the DPRD seats. If you look at the vote results in the 2024 election, it is estimated that no single political party will get 20 percent of the total 106 seats in the DKI Jakarta DPRD. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) which received the most votes in the election for members of the DKI Jakarta DPRD is also estimated to only control 18 percent or around 17 percent of the DPRD seats.

The Anies-Ahok duo is unlikely to happen. The chance is difficult and heavy. Ideologically and in terms of mass base, they are different. They are like oil and water.

In addition, according to Ujang, political parties may not necessarily have the desire to endorse the Anies-Ahok pair. Moreover, currently, every political party wants to endorse their own cadre. PKS, which once supported Anies in the 2017 gubernatorial election, has even stated that they will nominate a cadre as the candidate for the Jakarta gubernatorial election this time.

"Now each party supports its own cadres. PKS has also issued a statement that Anies was asked to support PKS cadres in the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. That's very clear. This means that PKS does not support Anies, but Anies is asked to support the cadres promoted by PKS. "So, it's difficult for Anies to just get a 'boat'," said Ujang.

Very raw

Separately, the Secretary of the Regional Leadership Council (DPD) of PDI-P in DKI Jakarta, Pantas Nainggolan, revealed that the idea of pairing Anies-Ahok is still very raw. This is only a rumor that can be mentioned before the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

"It's all still premature. We already have a process for selecting potential candidates for regional leaders. So, these discussions may arise, but we will further process them in stages of filtering," said Pantas.

IRENE SARWINDANINGRUM

PDI-P Jakarta DPD Secretary Pantas Nainggolan at the DKI Jakarta DPRD Building, Monday (25/11/2019).

It is understandable to view that the Anies-Ahok duo is difficult to achieve as both have different mass bases. Moreover, in order to support the candidate pair for governor and vice governor, the PDI-P must also form a coalition with other political parties. It is uncertain whether other political parties would agree with the Anies-Ahok proposal.

"We, like it or not, have to work together with other parties. "So it's still very flexible," said Pantas.

Also read: PDI-P Prioritizes Internal Cadres to Advance in DKI Jakarta Pilkada

PDI-P, according to Pantas, will also strive to prioritize its own cadres in the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. In addition to Ahok, several internal cadres who entered the race for Jakarta governor include Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini and State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Azwar Anas.

Other candidates also considered by PDI-P to be nominated as Governor of Jakarta include former Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian National Defense Forces and Vice Chairman of the National Winning Team Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, Andika Perkasa, as well as the Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono.

HELENA FRANSISCA NABABAN

Rani Mauliani from the Gerindra Party Faction (on the right) and Khoirudin (on the left) were inaugurated as the Vice Chairpersons of the Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council for the remainder of the 2019-2024 term. The inauguration was carried out in a Plenary Meeting of the Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council on Thursday (2/6/2022).

"So, all those names will still be considered, which we believe are able to meet the expectations of the Jakarta community. Until now, it is still very fluid," said Pantas.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Jakarta PKS Regional Executive Board, Khoirudin, revealed that his party is still considering four figures to be nominated in the 2024 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. However, Anies' name is not on the list of four figures being considered by the PKS.

The fourth names being considered by the party are former President of PKS Sohibul Iman, Chairman of PKS DPP Mardani Ali Sera, Chairman of the Development of Islamic Propagation Department for Community Development of PKS DPP Igo Ilham, and Chairman of PKS Jakarta DPW Khoirudin.

See also: PKS ensures that it does not support Anies in the Jakarta regional elections, who is the candidate?

Khoirudin stated that those four names will be considered to run as gubernatorial or vice gubernatorial candidates in Jakarta. "Either as governor or vice governor," said Khoirudin.