Here's Anies' Answer Asked About Choosing A Leader Just Because Of Anxiety

The pair of candidates for President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Anies Baswedan (left) and Muhaimin Iskandar (right) announced a number of new names for members of the AMIN national team in Jakarta, Tuesday (11/11/2023). BETWEEN PHOTOs/Indrianto Eko Suwarso/nym.

Presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan, responded to questions from residents about choosing presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 election just because of an adorable figure. According to him, all people are free to determine who the presidential and vice-presidential candidates he chooses on voting day. This was said by Anies in attending Anies' Desak event in Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, on the eighth day of the 2024 presidential election campaign. "Is it permissible (to choose a leader because it's adorable)? Can it be, isn't it? Free! You want to choose it because it's curly, because the color of the eye is okay. Because the skin color is okay, because whatever it is, it's okay," said Anies, Tuesday, December 5. In the democratic system in Indonesia, Anies emphasized that all people have the right to choose anyone. Likewise, all presidential and vice presidential candidates are entitled to be elected by anyone. "So, this republic has no prohibition against being nominated and there is no prohibition against choosing a partner or candidate. So, there is no prohibition at all," said Anies. However, Anies advised the public to choose presidential and vice-presidential candidates who have a track record as leaders. This is because the public can see the feasibility of its performance based on the leadership experience. "If I may recommend, then I will choose based, one, track record. Has he ever led? If we never lead, what can we expect tomorrow when he gets the task?" said the former governor of DKI Jakarta. Then, if the presidential and vice-presidential candidates have taken the lead, whether his efforts to achieve leadership can be seen from the start or suddenly. "What has he been doing since childhood? What did he do when he was young? From a young age, he thought about many people or from a young age he thought about himself? For activists, you are thinking about many people from a young age," he said. Furthermore, Anies asked the public to look at the ideas of presidential and vice presidential candidates that are brought into the current political contestation. According to Anies, the idea of a candidate for leader must be in accordance with the ideology they hold.

"So, ask, have you had any ideas, or not, from a young age? If there is none, it means that he doesn't have any ideas. That means he doesn't have a relationship with ideas. What do we expect tomorrow if yesterday he doesn't bring?" concluded Anies.