Jakarta. Anies Baswedan clarified on Sunday that he has no affiliation with the recently established Party of Change, despite its leaders claiming the party was inspired by the former Jakarta governor’s political vision and journey.

The new political party, officially announced earlier in the day, has been using Anies’ image in its fundraising materials, including campaign flyers and banners, to solicit donations.

"We’ve seen reports of donation requests being made under the name of the Party of Change, and we want to make it clear that Mr. Anies Baswedan has no involvement whatsoever in the party's founding, activities, or fundraising efforts," said Sahrin Hamid, a spokesperson for Anies.

After concluding his term as Jakarta governor in 2022, Anies ran for president, campaigning on promises of transformative governance. Backed by the Coalition of Change -- a bloc formed by three political parties supporting his presidential bid -- Anies ultimately lost to Prabowo Subianto in the February election.

Anies subsequently aimed to run again for Jakarta governor. However, his efforts fell short as no political party endorsed his candidacy for the upcoming gubernatorial election on November 27, and the registration deadline for independent candidates had already passed.

Robi Nurhadi, the chairman of the Party of Change, said the party was established to support "good people like Anies" in their pursuit of public office. In a video released on the party’s official YouTube channel on Sunday, Robi even described Anies as the “true leader” of the party, despite his absence from any official position within the organization.

"Mr. Anies Rasyid Baswedan remains our actual leader, and so do the leaders of the volunteer organizations and the movement for change. They all have our utmost respect," Robi said.

He expressed the hope that Anies would eventually accept the Party of Change as his political home and consider joining in the future.

Robi also pointed to the lack of political support for Anies' recent gubernatorial campaign as a key reason behind the party's formation. "We’ve learned that even the most capable and principled individuals need a political party to serve as a constitutional vehicle for their electoral ambitions," he said.

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