Disappointed, Democrats Open Up Anies Baswedan's Handwriting Asking AHY To Be A Vice Presidential Candidate

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Anies Baswedan at the DPP Democrat Office (Nailin In Saroh/VOI)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the Democratic Party as well as Member of Team 8 Teuku Riefky Harsya is disappointed with the political cooperation carried out by NasDem and PKB. The cooperation between the two political parties who are both members of the Coalition for Amendments to Improvement (KPP) with the Democrats-PKS is carried out unilaterally. Whereas from a series of meetings between coalition parties there have been several agreements. One of them is about the vice presidential candidate chosen by Anies Baswedan. The choice fell to the Democratic Chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY). "Capres Anies wrote his decision in the form of a signed handwritten letter to the Chairman of AHY on August 25, 2023 or six days ago. The essence of the letter is to ask officially that Ketum AHY be willing to become his Vice Presidential Candidate," said Teuku Riefky in a message received by the media crew in Jakarta, Thursday, August 31. Unfortunately something unexpected happened. In the middle of the process of finalizing the work of the coalition political parties with the presidential candidate Anies and the preparation for the declaration, suddenly there was a fundamental and surprising change. Teuku Riefky said, on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 night at Nasdem Tower, unilaterally the Chairman of the Nasdem Party, Surya Paloh, suddenly appointed PKB General Chair Muhaimin Iskandar as Anies Vice Presidential Candidate. This determination was without the knowledge of the Democratic Party and PKS. That night, Anies' presidential candidate was summoned by Surya Paloh to accept the decision. "A day later, August 30, 2023, Anies' presidential candidate in this very important matter did not directly convey it to the highest leadership of PKS and the Democratic Party, but first sent Sudirman Said to convey it," said Riefky Harsya. The Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the DPR RI said that previously the political parties that were members of the KPP had communicated intensively about when the time was right for the declaration of the vice presidential candidate. Public pressure so that the declaration is made is even higher. Surya Paloh, continued Teuku Riefky, had given it completely to Team 8. Meanwhile, SBY and Salim Segaf agreed to accelerate the declaration. At the meeting of Presidential Candidate Anies with Team 8 with SBY, Presidential Candidate Anies said that the declaration would be made in early September 2023. "Capres Anies and Team 8 are of the opinion that there is no longer any reason to postpone time declaration. Since the time is increasingly urgent and according to the mandate it has, "Anies' presidential candidate has already determined the vice presidential candidate," he explained.

Unfortunately, the plan that has been prepared and shared has changed in the middle of the road. "The series of events that occurred were a form of betrayal against the spirit of change, betrayal of the coalition charter that had been agreed upon by the three Political Parties, as well as betrayal of what was conveyed by Presidential Candidate Anies Baswedan himself, which has been mandated to lead the coalition," he said.