Anies Admits That He Has Not Pocketed Megawati's Blessing To Advance For The Jakarta Gubernatorial Election

Former DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (right) together with Labor Party President Said Iqbal (left third) after gathering at the Labor Party's Winning Center Office in Jakarta, Sunday (25/8/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan admitted that until now he has not received the blessing of the General Chairperson of the PDI-P (PDIP) Megawati Soekarnoputri whether it will be carried out in the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election (Pilgub).

He admitted that he was still waiting for the PDIP's directives and decisions, even though on Saturday, Anies had visited the PDIP DPD office.

"So I just follow the process. We'll just have to wait until my friends at the PDI-P tell me. Of course everyone is waiting for directions from the general chairman, Mrs. Megawati. I'm waiting," he said while visiting the Labor Party winning post, in Tebet Timur Dalam, South Jakarta, Sunday 25 August.

On the sidelines of waiting time, Anies admitted that he would study Bung Karno's thoughts, the nation's founders, and the values held by PDIP. "Now I study first, read first, study first, and make sure that the messages that were left by me can understand well and discuss them well," he said.

In addition, Anies also did not close the door of the party that previously carried it, such as PKS, Nasdem, and PKB.

"We'll just have to wait. Hopefully, we'll see how the progress will be. Anyway, we'll just go through it. We'll see what the process is," he said.

Anies appreciated the trust that has been given and will maintain the best of it as well as fight together in Jakarta, including for equality of justice in various policies in Jakarta.

The President of the Labor Party, Said Iqbal, said that his party is also still waiting for support from the big party to nominate Anies Baswedan as a candidate for governor in the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election.

The Labor Party's vote acquisition in the 2024 DKI Jakarta DPRD legislative election only reached 1.5 percent, so they had to look for a coalition to meet the nomination threshold of 7.5 percent.

"Of course we are waiting for other parties, especially big parties because we don't have enough votes to support directly," he explained.

According to him, if they get support from the big party, the Labor Party will provide a letter of recommendation for support to Anies in the form of a B1 KWK Political Party model form.

Registration for the governor and deputy governor candidates for Jakarta will be opened on August 27-29, 2024. Said also said that the KPU's decision regarding the threshold was final and there was no change in the decision.

"Thus, hopefully, we hope that other parties, especially parties whose votes are bigger, we hope that once again we can carry Pak Anies," he concluded.