Middlely Accused By The Government Of Singles In The 2024 Presidential Election, Mahfud MD Asks Denny Indrayana To Take Care Of Anies To Get Tickets

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD asked Denny Indrayana to keep Anies Baswedan running in the 2024 presidential election, so that the Government is not always accused of tackling the efforts of the former governor of DKI Jakarta to nominate a president.

"Please, Anies is guarded so that he can still get a ticket (Pilpres 2024). Later on, the accused, if they don't get a ticket, the government; because of the destruction, the government continues to block Anies. I ordered Denny, please keep it," Mahfud said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, June 5.

Mahfud emphasized that the government will not interfere in the nomination of Anies Baswedan from the Coalition for Amendments to Unity (KPP).

"I ordered Denny, please protect it. Don't let the internals fail later. If the government won't participate," he added.

Apart from Denny Indrayana, Mahfud also asked the President of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Ahmad Syaikhu to do the same.

"It's not only Denny that I ask for, I also ask for the general chairman of PKS," he added.

Mahfud said he had conveyed this to Ahmad Syaikhu directly during the meeting at his residence. During the meeting, Mahfud said Syaikhu asked him to accompany Anies as a candidate for vice president (cawapres) in the 2024 presidential election.

"I also conveyed that to the General Chairperson of PKS, Pak Syaikhu, when he came to my house; (he) explored, 'what if you become Anies' vice presidential candidate'," he said.

However, Mahfud was reluctant to run as an prospective vice presidential candidate for Anies so that there would be no KPP divisions that could potentially thwart him from contesting the 2024 presidential election.

"I said, not me, later it will break up. If later the coalition does not agree, even Anies will not get a ticket if the party is one out. Same, I ordered Denny," he said.

Mahfud also emphasized that he was ready to oversee the 2024 General Election, which was still held on schedule.

"Well, I will guard the election. I said that the election should be held. That's all," he said.

To note, registration for presidential and vice-presidential candidates is scheduled for October 19 to November 25, 2023.

Based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections (UU Pemilu), pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election who meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total seats in the DPR or obtaining 25 percent of valid votes nationally in the previous election for members of the DPR.

Currently, there are 575 seats in parliament, so that the pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election must have at least 115 seats in the DPR RI. It is also possible that the candidate pairs can be promoted by political parties or a combination of political parties participating in the 2019 Election with a total valid vote acquisition of at least 34,992,703 votes.