AFTER not participating in the regional elections in Jakarta and West Java, Anies considered establishing his own political party. This idea is intriguing. According to Prof. Saiful Mujani, the emergence of political parties in Indonesia is usually influenced or supported by three factors. First, the figure.
Typically in Indonesia, especially post-reform, parties are born out of charismatic figures. PKB had Abdurrahman Wahid. PAN previously had Amin Rais. The Democratic Party was established as a vessel to accommodate supporters of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Gerindra similarly serves as Prabowo’s political vehicle. Nasdem has Surya Paloh, and the same is true for most other parties in Indonesia.
Given Anies Baswedan’s political career so far, he undoubtedly meets the requirements for leading a political party. He has not only been the governor of the strategically important province of DKI Jakarta but also the runner-up in the presidential election with 24.9% of the vote, totaling about 41 million votes.
Even without being a party member, he managed to attract three major parties with different ideological backgrounds: PKS (Islamist/modernist), PKB (based on the traditional Muslim mass), and Nasdem (nationalist). All this happened due to the strong appeal of Anies’ figure.
The second factor that could be the foundation for establishing a party is the mass base of community organizations. Some post-reform parties were established with the support of community organization mass bases. This is represented mainly by PKB, which is based on the NU mass, and PAN, which is close to the Muhammadiyah mass. PKS also follows this pattern, accommodating the urban tarbiyah movement mass from the 1980s and 1990s before the reform.
Does Anies have a mass base that could be mobilized to form a party? Yes. One of the main groups supporting Anies both as governor of Jakarta and as a presidential candidate is the mass from Islamic organizations, especially outside of NU. It has even been observed that new Islamic organizations and movements tend to align closely with Anies. This could be an entry point for Anies to create a political network down to the grassroots level across Indonesia.
Since winning the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2017, Anies has essentially become a representation of political Islam in Indonesia. According to Prof. Burhanuddin Muhtadi, the tendency of voters with a political Islam orientation in Indonesia reaches about 30 percent. This sociological capital is crucial for Anies to form a political party. Whether realized or not, Anies has become a sort of political icon of Islam in Indonesia.
The third factor enabling the establishment of a strong party is the momentum for change. Reform was a significant moment that spurred the creation of many parties. It marked a change from an autocratic to a democratic political system.
On a smaller scale, the current weakening of democracy could provide the right moment to offer the public a vision of change or improvement.
Besides being a representation of political Islam, Anies has essentially also become an anti-establishment figure. Efforts by the authorities to weaken democracy by co-opting political parties, intervening in the judiciary, buying the independence of organizations, pressuring the media, and others are evidence of authoritarian tendencies.
This worsening situation is driving public resistance. This is an important moment for change, potentially spurring new social and political movements. And it is a suitable moment for figures like Anies to help foster the spirit of change through a more institutionalized political movement.
The three primary prerequisites or capital for establishing a party have been met. Next, we will see if this political capital can be woven into establishing a new political party that will channel new aspirations for Anies Baswedan’s loyalists, who are both Islamically and democratically inclined. Perhaps.
Depok, 30 August 2024
Saidiman Ahmad
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