If You Are Really Forward, The Anies Duet - Kaesang Will Be Difficult To Compete In The 2024 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election

Residents took pictures with Si Mayor, the mascot of the election of the Governor and Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta at the Monas Cross Field, Jakarta, Saturday (25/5/2024). (ANTARA/Reno Esnir/aww/aa)

JAKARTA The desire of PSI Chairman Kaesang Pangarep to duet with Anies Baswedan in the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada. On paper, the Anies-Kaesang duet may be difficult to match but on the other hand there are tough challenges that must be faced before realizing this collaboration.

The rumors of Anies' duet with Kaesang stemmed from the statement of President Joko Widodo's youngest son on GK Hebat's YouTube account. On that occasion, he admitted that if faced with two choices, he would choose to run as a candidate for governor of Jakarta rather than a candidate for mayor of Solo.

"If you can, you can choose, choose Jakarta," said Kaesang Pangarep.

He also mentioned Anies Baswedan as a figure who will be chosen as his partner to fight in the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada.

"Maybe a duet with Pak Anies," said Kaesang briefly.

According to Kaesang, his duet with Anies is not something that is impossible to materialize. With the PSI seat in Jakarta, Kaesang is optimistic that anything can happen.

"The position is Mr. Anies does not yet have a party, while I in Jakarta have eight seats. You can (enter) if you want," he said.

Kaesang's intention to invite Anies Baswedan as his partner in the Jakarta gubernatorial election is now a topic of conversation. PSI DPP administrator Dedek Prayudi said that his party chairman's statement to have a duet with Anies was just a joke.

The reason is because Kaesang and Anies have different political ideologies. According to him, Anies has been maintaining conservative right supporters, while PSI is the opposite.

But it's common knowledge, nothing is impossible in politics. Because politics is dynamic, anything can happen, including the Anies Baswedan-Kaesang Pangarep duet in the 2024 Jakarta DK Pilkada.

Kaesang's statement, who wanted to join Anies, had not received a response from the former governor of DKI Jakarta, but a positive response was given by PKS.

Ahmad Mabruri considers the discourse to be good so that the political dynamics in Jakarta are more crowded and fluid. Moreover, if the duet of Kaesang and Anies is realized, it can be called the zigzag pair.

"This is good. To make it more crowded and fluid. More and more couples are more attractive. Especially if the partner is zigzag. Not monotonous," said the chairman of the PKS DPP Mabruri.

PKS is one of the parties that supported Anies in the 2017 Jakarta Pilkada and the 2024 presidential election, in addition to NasDem and PKB.

Furthermore, Mabruri emphasized that nothing is impossible in politics, especially since the statement came out of Kaesang as the chairman of PSI.

The Supreme Court (MA) has just granted the request for judicial review rights requested by Garuda Party Chairman Ahmad Ridha Sabana regarding Article 3 of PKPU Number 9 of 2020 with the Pilkada Law as stated in the decision Nomo 23 P/HUM/2024.

Through this decision, now a person can run as a candidate for governor and deputy governor at the age of at least 30 years and a candidate for regent/mayor as well as a deputy regent/mayor for at least 25 years when inaugurated, not when appointed as a candidate pair.

The additional interpretation of the age limit for this regional head candidate is then considered a red carpet for Kaesang following in the footsteps of his brother, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is running as a vice presidential candidate to accompany Prabowo Subianto.

After it was widely rumored that he would run in the election for the Mayor of Solo, the Mayor of Bekasi, now Kaesang's name is said to be on the stock exchange for the candidate for Deputy Governor of Jakarta.

Rumors of Kaesang running for the Jakarta Pilkada also dragged the name of Anies Baswedan, who still has not confirmed the next step after the 2024 presidential election, in which he lost to the Prabowo-Gibran pair.

However, the Governor of DKI Jakarta for the 2017-2022 period is predicted to continue to sell on the political scene in the country. The proof is that Anies is still often associated with a number of political parties ahead of the 2024 Pilkada. Nasdem is working on Anies' name as Cagub Jakarta, while PDIP is also said to have participated in eyeing the former Minister of Education.

Voxpol Center Research and Consulting CEO, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago said, it is very possible that the Kaesang-Anies duet will be realized in the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada. However, there is one thing that has the potential to be a big challenge for the couple, namely finding supporting parties.

Recently, PDIP DPP Chair Puan Maharani opened the possibility of carrying Anies in the Jakarta Pilkada. He called Anies an attractive option, when asked about the opportunity to carry Anies.

But according to Pangi, it will be difficult for PDIP to accept Kaesang as the cawagub of Anies in the regional elections. The relationship between the party led by Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jokowi's family has not completely melted, making it a bit difficult to choose Kaesang if PDIP becomes the party that carries Cagub Jakarta.

"It is not easy to find Anies' partner. It is difficult to find representatives and supporting parties. This is a challenge," Pangi told VOI.

Even though he lost in the 2024 presidential election, Pangi assessed that Anies still had a big chance to win, especially if he was partnered with Kaesang Pangarep.

"Until now no one has matched Anies in Jakarta. Starting from the confidence level, the concoction, and the program, no one has been able to match it," Pangi explained.

"Only the problem is, if he is promoted by PDIP, who will be his deputy, because if Kaesang is a bit difficult," he continued.