The Moment Of Anies Baswedan Three Times Rejects Prabowo's Pinangan To Become A Vice Presidential Candidate In The 2019 Presidential Election

Prabowo Subianto's momentum supports Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno in the 2017 DKI Jakarta gubernatorial election. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Anies Baswedan and Prabowo Subianto were in different carriages in the 2014 presidential election. Anies acted as a spokesman for the pair Joko Widodo (Jokowi)- Jusuf Kalla (JK). Prabowo who was paired with Hatta Rajasa as his opponent.

Later both of them were in the same carriage. Prabowo even acted like a basketball maker by supporting Anies until he won in the 2017 DKI Jakarta gubernatorial election. However, Anies then refused Prabowo's proposal to become his vice presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election.

Nothing lasts forever in the world of politics. Sometimes they become opponents, sometimes friends too. Likewise with the relationship between Anies Baswedan and Prabowo Subianto. Both of them once disagreed because they were in different camps in the 2014 presidential election.

Anies entered the political arena to defend Jokowi-JK's interests as a spokesman against Prabowo-Hatta. Jokowi also won and Anies was splashed with benefits by being appointed Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud). However, everything changed when Anies was expelled by Jokowi.

Anies' political passion was passionate. Anies tried to find another political arena. Later he began to look at the hope of advancing in the 2017 DKI Jakarta Pilgub political contestation. Problems arose. Anies is a non-party person. He doesn't have a political vehicle.

He is not a member of the party. He also has no intention of joining a party that has the potential to carry him. The only thing Anies has is flashy popularity. The existing parties began exploring Anies' desire to carry him as the Jakarta Governor's Governor.

The Social Justice Party (PKS) tried to get closer. Anies' certainty was then determined by the joining of Prabowo and the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) to carry Anies and Sandiaga Uno.

Prabowo at that time tried to be a wise figure of statesman. He had no problem that Anies was his political opponent in the past. Prabowo believes Anies can win against other candidates, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) and Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

The Anies-Sandi pair was then inaugurated at Prabowo's residence on September 23, 2016. Finally, Anies Sandi was able to win against Ahok-Djarot in the second round in 2017. Anies-Sandi also became the Governor and Deputy Governor elected Jakarta.

This is the underlying principle why I proposed Anies Baswedan's brother to serve the citizens of the capital of the Republic of Indonesia. "That's right, I used to be Anies' political opponent. But I believe the Anies-Sandi pair can be a leader involving citizens in building Jakarta.."

"I tell him, I know you love your country, and I love my country, let's work together: I know you love this country, and I love this country, let's work together," Prabowo said on the official Facebook page, October 21, 2016.

Prabowo has certainly contributed to bringing Anies to the seat of Governor of DKI Jakarta. This leadership made Anies more popular. The mass media continues to report their activities as Governor of DKI Jakarta.

This popularity was then attracted by many parties. Anies is considered a figure who has the potential to gain a lot of votes in the high-level political contestation, the 2019 presidential election. Several parties have tried to explore Anies running as a presidential candidate so that competition is not only Jokowi and Prabowo.

Prabowo immediately caught a strong signal of Anies' popularity. He tried to express his intention to Anies so that he wanted to be Prabowo's companion to compete in the 2019 presidential election. However, the answer Prabowo received was not satisfactory.

Three times Prabowo tried to propose to Anies, he also refused three times. Each of the proposals was revealed at the beginning of fasting, a few days after Eid, until Anies was summoned to Prabowo's residence in July 2018.

The result was nil. Anies still refused. Anies' refusal was reasonable. He felt he had made many campaign promises to the citizens of Jakarta. The promise is trying to be realized one by one. He did not want to break it, let alone the promise was fulfilled when he was Vice President.

Anies Baswedan refuses to promise like Jokowi who wants to fix Jakarta when he becomes President of Indonesia. The promise is not clear. No realization. Later Prabowo was forced to understand Anies' mindset. This condition made Prabowo look at Sandiaga Uno, who was the notane of the Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta as his companion in the 2019 presidential election against Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin.

Anies said he rejected Prabowo's offer because he wanted to concentrate on fixing DKI Jakarta. According to Anies, there are many promises to his voters, residents of Jakarta, who have not been fulfilled. The invitation to become a vice presidential candidate is an honor. Pak Prabowo respects the attitude to hold a commitment.

"Anies' refusal to accompany Prabowo seems to be on the radar of a number of parties who want to build a new axis. Presidential election registration is getting closer. They don't want to just be fixated on Prabowo and Joko Widodo's blocks and don't carry their own candidates," said Hussein Abri Dongoran in his writing in Tempo magazine entitled Bubar Jalan Poros Ketiga(2018).