Mita Amalia Hapsari, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Anies Baswedan's bid for re-election as Jakarta governor hangs in the balance after a key ally, National Democratic Party (Nasdem) Chairman Surya Paloh, indicated on Wednesday that the party may endorse a rival candidate.

Nasdem led the three-party coalition that nominated Anies in the February presidential election. However, their continued partnership for the Jakarta gubernatorial election now seems uncertain, with Surya expressing doubts about Anies' ability to even qualify as a candidate.

To run in the election, a candidate must receive the support of a party or coalition holding at least 22 seats in the Jakarta legislature – a threshold Nasdem cannot meet on its own. The Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which also endorsed Anies in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election and the presidential election earlier this year, has withdrawn its support.

Anies cannot run as an independent candidate, as the registration deadline expired last month.

"Regarding Mr. Anies, given the current situation, I think it's difficult for him to contest the Jakarta election," Surya said after attending an event at the State Palace.

The media mogul declined to elaborate on the challenges facing Anies.

"You may ask Mr. Anies himself; he is the only one who can provide the answer. He needs to meet the requirements according to existing regulations to qualify," Surya said. "However, one thing is for sure – Anies remains a friend to Nasdem."

Surya said Nasdem is now positioning itself as part of the pro-government alliance, known as the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM).

KIM successfully nominated Prabowo Subianto for president in the last election, alongside his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo.

For the upcoming Jakarta election, KIM has chosen former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil as its gubernatorial candidate and is actively encouraging other parties, including Nasdem, to join the coalition.

With allies turning away, Anies may need to rely on the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to keep his re-election bid alive. However, PDI-P historically viewed Anies as a rival in both the 2017 Jakarta election and the February presidential election.

Still, with 15 seats in the Jakarta legislature, PDI-P would need to partner with another party to nominate a candidate.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/surya-paloh-signals-nasdem-wont-endorse-anies-basweda