JAKARTA – Indonesia’s largest political party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), nominated Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung as its candidate for Jakarta governor on August 28, effectively sidelining former favourite Anies Baswedan from the race.
The nomination came after a week of political drama and protests in Indonesia over President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s perceived efforts to consolidate power before leaving office. A proposed revision to election law, which could have benefited Jokowi’s youngest son and undermined Anies’ chances, was scrapped after widespread public outcry.
While Anies, a former Jakarta governor from 2017 to 2022 and a prominent government critic, was expected to secure the PDIP nomination, the party instead chose Pramono Anung due to his political experience. The PDIP did not specify why it decided against backing Anies, who had previously gained popularity during his term as governor and ran unsuccessfully in this year’s presidential election.
A coalition of 13 government-aligned parties has nominated former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil as its candidate for the Jakarta governorship, leaving Anies without a party to back his run.
Anies, who is not a member of any political party, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His exclusion from the race comes despite recent surveys showing him with an 8-point lead in the Jakarta governor contest.
The Jakarta governorship is considered a prestigious stepping stone to the presidency, a position once held by Jokowi. The decision to nominate Pramono comes amid growing criticism of Jokowi’s efforts to shore up his power base before stepping down in October.
During his presidential campaign, Anies alleged that the Jokowi administration had unfairly interfered in the election process, claims that were denied by the government and ultimately dismissed in court.