Jakarta – Former National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais said he expects Jakarta's presumptive governor-elect, Anies Baswedan, to stay in office for his full five-year tenure.
The former chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhamadiyah, said on Thursday that he would oppose any decision aimed at hindering the governor-elect from serving for five years, including if Prabowo Subianto, the chairman of the Gerindra Party, the main party backer of Anies, wants him to be his running mate in the 2019 presidential election.
Amien said if Prabowo made such a decision, it would break his promise to keep Anies in office for the full five-year tenure.
"If Prabowo does so and shows he is inconsistent, I will oppose it," Amien said as quoted by Kompas.com. "I think this duo [Anies and presumptive deputy governor-elect Sandiaga Uno] lasting for five years will be a good decision."
Anies and Sandiaga emerged as the unofficial winners of last month's election after beating Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and his running mate, Deputy Governor Djarot Sjaiful Hidayat, in a runoff race. In a speech, Prabowo encouraged the winning pair to complete their five-year tenure in office.
Many observers have predicted that Prabowo, who lost the 2014 presidential election to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, would run again in the 2019 election. (saf/dan)