Admits That WhatsApp Is Often With Ahok, Anies: Don't Discuss Political Affairs

Anies Baswedan/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - Anies Baswedan admitted that currently he often communicates with Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) through the WhatsApp messaging platform.

However, Anies emphasized that there was no discussion regarding the politics between him and Ahok ahead of the registration of the candidate pair for regional head in the 2024 Pilkada.

"We have never discussed political matters. We just discussed our personal matters," said Anies at Pondok Gede, Bekasi, Tuesday, July 30.

Anies admitted that there was no particular interest in the casual conversation between him and Ahok, who was both the former Governor of DKI Jakarta.

"Talking as friends, as residents. It's a normal thing, friends also communicate with anyone," said Anies.

In the 2017 Pilkada, Anies and Ahok competed to become governors of DKI Jakarta. The competition for cagub-cawagub in Jakarta at that time was quite fierce, even resulting in polarization in each of its supporters.

Ahok even languished in detention due to a blasphemy case from what he said during the 2017 Pilkada period. After being released, Ahok joined as a PDIP cadre and now serves as Chairman of the DPP.

Now, PDIP opens up opportunities to support Anies. PDIP DPP chairman Puan Maharani said that her party is still calculating the candidates for governor to be promoted in the 2024 Jakarta Pilkada. Puan said that the PDIP might carry the incumbent, Anies Baswedan, above 50 percent.

"We are still considering. (Toss Anies, ed). Maybe. It could be above (50 percent, ed), it could be above a lot," said Puan, Thursday, July 25.

Puan said that so far PDIP is still seeing developments in the future dynamics. This, he said, was the reason the bull party had not yet decided on the name of the candidate.

"There is still a long time, until the end of August, so there is still a lot of time for us to see the existing developments and political dynamics that are still developing," he said.