Pessimistic PKB With Anies-Ganjar National Unifying Duet Proposed By NasDem

NasDem National Work Meeting at JCC Jakarta/DOK PHOTO: Nailin In Saroh-VOI

JAKARTA - Discussions on the 2024 presidential election have warmed up after the general chairmen of political parties met with each other and tried to explore a coalition. Although several coalition axes have emerged, only one party has publicly announced the name of the presidential candidate to contest in 2024.

The NasDem Party is the pioneer. Even the party created by Surya Paloh has created a national unifying duet scheme, namely the pair of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

Initially, the chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, admitted that he proposed the names of the presidential-vice presidential candidates to President Joko Widodo. He did this because he wanted the nation's leaders in the future to eliminate the polarization that had been happening in society.

"Me? I admit that, yes. So what can I donate with my heart, with honesty, what I understand, which God willing, may be beneficial for the interests of the progress of this nation. I think that's what I prioritize," Surya Paloh told reporters at NasDem Tower, Thursday, June 23.

Surya Paloh's statement was later agreed by the NasDem Party's deputy chairman, Ahmad Ali. He said the scheme emerged during Paloh's discussions with President Jokowi.

"Mr. Surya's thoughts are that today there is a prominent figure, which we think, if we want to objectively assess it, there is Anies and there is Ganjar," Ali told reporters.

Nevertheless, Ahmad Ali explained, the predicate of the unifying duet Anies-Ganjar was only NasDem's view. He also admitted that not everyone would agree with the proposed duet, which was called to unify the nation.

"Our thoughts are an ideal partner if they can then be paired. It means a unifying duet, maybe. That's according to us, but it's not necessarily approved by other people because other people can have different views," said Ali.

So, what is the response of other political parties to the proposal of the Anies-Ganjar nation-unifying duo?

Anies-Ganjar Pessimistic PKB Able to Unify the Nation

Deputy Chairperson of the PKB, Jazilul Fawaid, assessed that Anies and Ganjar did not have the capacity to unite the nation in the upcoming 2024 General Election.

"If the two names are thrown out to the public, I believe it is not a solution to find a unifying duo. Neither Anies nor Ganjar have the capacity for that," Jazilul told reporters, Sunday, June 26.

Because, said Jazilul, neither Anies nor Ganjar had the experience and achievements to create harmony and even unite a nation that had been polarized so far.

"Because both of them (Ganjar-Anies) do not yet have strong achievements and track records in activities of harmony and national unity," said the man who is familiarly called Gus Jazil. Therefore, according to the Deputy Chair of the MPR, this unifying duo of the nation is not a good solution to avoid an election without polarization. Because, if the duet scheme to unify the nation was mentioned at the outset, it would actually make the political elite unable to sit together.