TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo positively welcomed the news of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan is being considered to be backed by the opposition party to run for the 2019 Presidential Election (Pilpres 2019).

“I think it is excellent that the public is offered with more options,” said President Jokowi at the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran on Saturday, July 7. He made it clear that it would great to have more candidates for the 2019 Presidential Election.

Opposition party Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) plans to submit Anies Baswedan as the party’s candidate for the 2019 election. PKS is offering Anies Baswedan and Ahmad Heryawan as its official candidates to other political parties following their presidential election submission simulation.

“Anies has emerged in PKS’s internal radar for a long period of time,” said Suhud Aliyudin, the party’s political and legal central board member on Tuesday, July 3.

He also maintained that many of PKS members a longing to see Anies submitted for the presidential election even though he is not officially included in the party’s short list of future presidential candidates.

Support for Anies has also come from another source such as the recently declared by the Indonesian Welfare National Alliance (ANIES). “Anies Baswedan is young, smart, competent, and has the vision needed to improve the nation,” said ANIES coordinator La Ode Basir on Friday, July 6.

FRISKI RIANA