Facts About The Presidential Decree (1): How Anies Baswedan Eliminates Identity Political Labels By Collaborating With Muhaimin Iskandar

Anies Baswedan (left) presidential candidate will be accompanied by vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar during a visit in Denanyar, Jombang Regency, East Java, Friday (29/9/2023). (Between/Syaiful Arif/nym)

The emergence of Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate (Readpres) in the 2024 Presidential Election is haunted by the shadow of identity politics. The former governor of DKI Jakarta is accused of using the issue of SARA to seize the highest seat in the capital city in the 2017 gubernatorial election.

The label is now trying to be removed by Anies as he steps forward as a Presidential Decree. Anies Baswedan's name was declared as a Presidential Decree by the Democratic National Party in October 2022, months before the official presidential election began.

Long story short, Anies then took Muhaimin Iskandar or who is familiarly known by Cak Imin as a candidate for vice president (Bacawapres) in the 2024 presidential election in a declaration made at the Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya, East Java, Saturday (2/9/2023).

The declaration of Bacappres and Bacawapres Anies with Cak Imin was somewhat surprising. There are parties who feel betrayed in the declaration. It was the Democrat Party that accused the Change Coalition of treason for choosing the chairman of the PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar alias Cak Imin, as the pair Anies Baswedan as the vice presidential candidate.

For Anies Baswedan, this will be his first experience in the presidential election contestation. However, this does not mean that the man who was born on May 7, 1969, is fighting without capital. Anies' actions cannot be underestimated, although not a few parties have ridiculed his career.

Known as an active figure in the field of education, Anies Baswedan's public career began with becoming Minister of Education and Culture in the Working Cabinet of President Jokowi's government.

He was appointed as Minister of Education and Culture in October 2014. However, Anies' leadership did not last long. It was not more than two years since Anies occupied the seat of Minister of Education and Culture, before his position was replaced by Muhadjir Effendy.

During his tenure as Minister of Education and Culture, Anies carried out a number of work programs and movement campaigns. One of the campaigns that caught the most attention was encouraging parents to take their children on the first day of school. This is done to increase the emotional relationship between parents and their schools and children.

"The first day of school is also an opportunity to encourage interaction between parents and teachers at school to establish a joint commitment in guarding children's education for the next year. This campaign also aims to increase public concern and involvement in the implementation of education in schools," Anies wrote in Circular Letter number 4 of 2016 concerning School Day One.

Until now, the reason for Jokowi's removal of Anies was alamreshufflekabinet volume II, July 27, 2016, which was still confusing.

After being removed as Minister of Education and Culture, Anies Baswedan continued his career as Governor of DKI Jakarta. Anies ran in the 2017 DKI Jakarta gubernatorial election with the authorities and Gerindra Party politician, Sandiaga Uno as deputy governor.

This is where Anies' point is considered to have changed course. From the beginning as part of Jokowi's regime by being the spokesman for the winning team for Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla in the 2014 presidential election campaign, Anies transformed into the president's 'enemy' after being removed from his position as Minister of Education.

However, political observer Andriadi Achmad was reluctant to say Anies committed a betrayal.

"Politics is dynamic, there is no friend or eternal opponent. What lasts forever in politics is only an interest," Andriadi told VOI.

Anies' victory in the gubernatorial election was marked by accusations of a black campaign. Some observers considered Anies to have carried out identity politics by bringing the issue of SARA to beat Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, his opponent in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Especially at that time, Anies received full support from PA 212 in a fight six years ago.

The label on identity politics is quite attached to Anies during his tenure as number one person in Jakarta. But according to Andriadi Achmad, Anies tried to eliminate the label by attracting PKB General Chair Muhaimin Iskandar as his Bacawapres.

"This identity politics is difficult to escape, but now he is building an image to escape identity politics," Andriadi continued.

By joining Nasdem and joining Cak Imin as his Presidential Decree, the label began to run away. So, this is Anies' move in order to eliminate identity politics," said Andriadi.

Based on the results of the survey of the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) Denny JA, Anies Baswedan's electability fell after declaring himself paired with Muhaimin Iskandar as Bacawapres.

Anies' electability was only 14.5 percent in September or down 5.2 percent from August. He lost to Ganjar Pranowo who experienced a 2.1 percent increase in electability to 37.9 percent in September. While Prabowo was in first place with 39.8 percent in the same month.

"Anies' electability actually fell after the declaration, after choosing Cak Imin as Cawapres, Anies' electability actually decreased," said LSI researcher Denny JA Adjie Alfaraby in an online survey release, quoted by Antara.

But Andriadi reminded that the survey results did not fully describe the results of the presidential election later. This political observer from Bengkulu said that a campaign period of approximately three months is an important period to attract votes.

The campaign is a very important time. Even though Anies' survey was in a distended position, it was not impossible when the campaign could turn things around," Andriadi explained.

"The campaign period can say that the injury time is for the Bacapres to win the hearts of the people," he concluded.