Almost 2 Hours Anies Meets Sri Sultan, Gathering Asks For Prayer And Blessing Towards The 2024 General Election

Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan met with the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X at the Kepatihan Office, Yogyakarta, Wednesday (24/1/2024) (ANTARA/Luqman Hakim)

Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan met with the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X at the Kepatihan Office, Yogyakarta, today. Apart from gathering, Anies also asked for his blessing regarding his candidacy. After walking from the Malioboro area, Anies and his entourage arrived at the Governor's Office at around 09.00 WIB then immediately entered Gedhong Wilis, Kepatihan Complex to meet the Sultan. "I ask for your prayers, ask for your blessing and God willing, what we are trying to achieve for Indonesia is better," said Anies, who met the Sultan for almost 2 hours, as reported by Antara. For Anies, Sultan HB X is a reference figure for all groups so that in the 2024 presidential election contestation, he feels the need to stay in touch and obtain advice from the King of the Yogyakarta Palace. "He covered everything, he became a reference for all. That's why we kept in touch and listened to wise messages, experiences and discussions of various things. Earlier, he talked a little long to hear a lot of things that were discussed together," he said. According to Anies, it is important to stay in touch with Sultan HB X considering that he is the son of Yogyakarta who also grew up in Yogyakarta. "As a son of Yogyakarta who grew up in Yogyakarta, only about 600 meters from Kepatihan who now works, has a career in Jakarta and is getting the mandate to participate in the presidential election contestation process," said Anies. On that occasion, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta admitted that he took lessons on the leadership model of Sri Sultan HB IX, which was considered stable, calm, and polite, but firm in his attitude. According to Anies, the leadership model is now being continued by Sri Sultan HB X. "It became an inspiration from the'swargi' (deceased) Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX which was continued by Ngarsa Dalem Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X to continue to maintain stable leadership principles that are nurturing but also firm in attitude and able to maintain a stability atmosphere, so that's roughly our chat," he said. Anies Baswedan was the last participant in the 2024 presidential election to meet the Sultan after previously presidential candidate number 3 Ganjar Pranowo on December 27, 2023, followed by presidential and vice presidential candidate number 2 Prabowo Subiato-Gibran Rakabuming Raka on January 22, 2024, first met the Sultan. Meanwhile, Sultan HB X expressed the impression that his acceptance of Anies was no different from the two presidential candidates who met him first. "Yes, it's the same, the names are both dialogues, learning, I can't have conclusions," he said. However, the Sultan admitted that he had reminded Anies that as a leader, he must maintain diversity by being fair without discriminating between the nation's children. "How can the leader, even if he is big, if possible, the leader can fly all the flags even if he comes from one flag. He does not feel powerful even if he is in power because power is activated for his people, without distinguishing because no matter how small the flag is raised, it is also the voter who is part of the son of the Republic of Indonesia himself," he said. Previously, the Indonesian KPU had determined the participants of the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections (Pilpres), namely the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar pair number 1, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka number 2, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md. serial number 3.

The KPU has also set a campaign period from November 28, 2023 to February 10, 2024, then the voting schedule will be on February 14, 2024.