Presumptive presidential nominee Anies Baswedan (left) and his running mate Muhaimin Iskandar pose for a picture in Surabaya, East Java, on Sept 2, 2023, following the pair’s announcement they would be running in the February election next year. - Antara
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The surprise decision by the NasDem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) to pair former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and PKB leader Muhaimin Iskandar as presidential and vice presidential candidates is expected to have a wider ripple effect on the reconfiguration of the political alliances ahead of next year’s election.
In an unexpected turn of events, Anies has officially named Muhaimin, a major supporter of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo who had backed past initiatives to extend the President’s term, as his running mate, igniting the ire of the Democratic Party, which had expected to secure the vice presidential slot for its chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
