TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) Secretary-general Raja Juli Antoni called for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s allies to encourage national figures to enter the upcoming 2024 presidential election to compete against Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

This comes after the Indo Barometer survey result that sought Anies Baswedan as one of the many strongest candidates to run for the upcoming presidency and reduce Anies’ chances in the election.

“Other notable figures such as Ridwan Kamil, Ganjar Pranowo, bu Risma, Nurdin Abdullah, and other figures that could replace pak Jokowi,” said the PSI Secretary-general at the Hotel Atlet Century on Sunday, February 23.

Raja Juli Antoni maintains that PSI intends to curb Anies Baswedan’s chances as the party does not want a person that uses primordial issues and religious rhetorics to divide citizens as a state-leader.

“Anies is currently a symbol of populism. I want to urge Party members and society alike that are still pro toward nationalism. I guess there need to be national ranks to intercept a figure that is focused on this populism issue,” said Juli.

The PSI secretary said that rhetorics are acceptable only if it is followed by actual work being done. “Can words make Jakarta free from floods? Pak Anies is a governor that is incompetent that only uses rhetoric without being backed by actual work.”

DEWI NURITA