PKS Support For Anies Baswedan Has Many Meanings

JAKARTA – The statement by Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Sohibul Iman on January 28, confirmed PKS' stance in facing the 2024 elections. PKS has consistently been part of the coalition of parties supporting Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate.

PKS support as the owner of 8.7 percent of the vote in parliament completes the 20 percent threshold requirement for presidential candidacy. Because previously the Nasdem Party with 10.3 percent and the Democratic Party with 9.4 percent of the vote had also declared their support for Anies Baswedan.

Deputy Bappilu DPP Democratic Party, Kamhar Lakumani welcomed. Of course, this shows maturity and expertise in politics. Politics that promotes ideas through aspirations for change and improvement. At the same time, it counters the accusations that have been pinned on PKS and Democrats so far, which locks in the position of a potential vice presidential candidate having to be from his party.

"We, Democrats and PKS have proven and affirmed the interests of the people as the main and priority. This answers all kinds of doubts about the existence of a change coalition and breaks the efforts that undermined the formation of a Change Coalition," Kamhar said in a written statement to VOI on February 1, 2023.

In fact, the support and aspirations of the people who are so big and strong for change and improvement will always be the strengthening energy of the Coalition for Change.

However, a number of observers believe that PKS's support for Anies Baswedan is not just a question of the Coalition for Change. Political Communication Expert, Effendi Gazali, said that PKS's political stance has many meanings.

Apart from having a similar ideology to Anies Baswedan, according to Effendi, PKS is also realistically trying to see the effect of tailcoats on their prospective legislators at the central and regional levels.

The tail effect is interpreted as a positive relationship between the electoral strength of the presidential candidate and the supporting party. A presidential or presidential candidate with a high level of electability will provide a positive electoral advantage to the party that supports him.

"Furthermore, of course, PKS positions itself as the 'opposition', so their options for forming a coalition are also limited," he told VOI on 2 February 2023.

Political analyst from Al Azhar University, Ujang Komarudin also thinks the same. It's not surprising that PKS finally decided to support Anies Baswedan.

"Because if Anies Baswedan can run for president, PKS is there, it will have a positive impact on PKS votes. It could be stable or even increase, but if Anies doesn't run for president, then PKS will rely on the struggle of its cadres in the legislature," he told VOI on 2 February 2023.

Just like in the Prabowo-Sandi era, the PKS vote rose due to the tail effect. After all, said Ujang, "PKS has tended towards Anies from the start, but when it was still tug-of-war, it was still running here and there, so maybe they wanted to get a 'political compensation deal' in building a coalition with Nasdem and Democrats. This is only natural, even though in the end PKS has no choice but to support Anies."

Too Fast

Even so, according to Effendi, the political steps of the PKS, including the Coalition for Change, are still very dynamic. Can't be sure. Moreover, Sohibul Iman in his statement will only provide an official statement organizationally to the public during the national work meeting on February 24.

“How about the next pressures they experience. Don't just imagine pressure from the outside, it could also be from within. Not to mention, to the best of my knowledge, it is very difficult to make an agreement to carry presidential and vice presidential candidates like that. If someone feels unwell before November 2023 (the schedule for registering a presidential candidate with the KPU), how about that?

Indeed, no laws and regulations have been violated. However, this could be seen by society as low morale, lack of ethical awareness, or lack of loyalty.

Many considered the change coalition's move too fast. The Declaration of Presidential Candidates by the Nasdem Party was made 2 years and 17 days before the incumbent president left the palace.

Meanwhile, the declaration as a coalition with more than 20 percent of parliamentary votes is likely to be made on February 24, 2023, or long before the registration of the presidential candidates from October 19 to November 25, 2023.

"Yes, the coalition is working hard, of course, it is encouraging. We hope that all parties can nominate the nation's best sons and daughters. Including PDIP which can run alone, Golkar and friends, Gerindra and his colleagues," he said.

In the future, added Effendi, there must be a joint agreement on the schedule for the declaration of the presidential candidates. Effendi also proposed that the 2029 presidential election be held in June. This is to anticipate the second round, then the process at the Constitutional Court, as well as the inauguration of members of the MPR.

"From June 2029 or the second round of July/August 2029, the transition period between the presidential election and the presidential inauguration will also be shorter, so that the certainty of power and state policies will not be in a 'limping duck' position (transition period for changing power)," he added.

Ujang also assessed that as long as they had not been registered with the KPU, the presidential and vice presidential candidates could still change. There may still be shifts in political dynamics that will get warmer in the future.

"I see, other parties are still waiting for the PDI Perjuangan statement as the party ruling the parliament, whether to nominate Puan or Ganjar. Whoever's choice will change the current political map and coalition map," said Ujang.