It’s been more than a month since Sandiaga Uno stepped down from his post as Jakarta vice governor in order to become Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto’s running mate in next year’s presidential election, yet Governor Anies Baswedan still doesn’t have a second-in-command to help him run the capital.
Speaking to the media today, Anies said he hopes his political party backers can pick Sandi’s replacement soon to aid him in his daily duties. Anies said that, if he could choose, the new vice governor would be somebody like Sandi — who he described as someone he enjoyed a very close working relationship with.
“What I want is simple. There are many events to attend, like this morning. This is the third event I had to attend after two others this morning. If Sandi were still here we would communicate, “bro, you got the morning [event] ya.” “On it.” Another time it could be the other way around, he would message me on WhatsApp if he can’t attend an event so I’d fill in,” Anies told reporters at City Hall today, as quoted by Detik.
“I hope [Sandi’s replacement] will have flexibility in communication and can communicate whenever. Switching schedules between us was normal.”
However, it appears Anies may have to wait for his new Sandi for a while yet because his backers, opposition coalition parties Gerindra and PKS, have been publicly debating for weeks that their respective cadres are entitled for the job.
Gerindra looks set on nominating City Council (DPRD) member Muhammad Taufik — who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2004 for a corruption case — but PKS says they’re strongly against Taufik’s appointment on moral grounds and are holding Gerindra to their promise that the next Jakarta vice governor be from PKS. Gerindra chairman and opposition coalition leader Prabowo Subianto is said to have the final say on the matter, but he reportedly won’t come to a decision before holding a discussion with PKS President Sohibul Iman, which should be soon.
