Jakarta. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's hopes for reelection were dashed on Tuesday when the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) decided against nominating him for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

Despite Anies' efforts, including a visit to PDI-P’s headquarters on Monday dressed in the party’s signature red, PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri opted to nominate the party’s own executives for the race, a senior party member said.

PDI-P selected Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung as its candidate for governor, with lawmaker and veteran actor Rano Karno as his running mate, according to PDI-P Chief Treasurer Olly Dondokambey.

“Madame Megawati invited Mr. Pramono yesterday, and after careful consideration, he accepted the nomination,” Olly told reporters.

His remarks came as a surprise, especially after earlier reports suggested that Anies might be PDI-P’s pick for governor. PDI-P official Said Abdullah had neither confirmed nor denied rumors of Anies’ potential candidacy, and photos circulated of Anies seeking his mother’s blessing before visiting the PDI-P headquarters, giving the impression that he was about to secure the party’s support.

Two days prior, Anies had met with PDI-P’s Jakarta chapter to discuss the election, adding to speculation that he could be the party’s nominee.

Anies had turned to PDI-P after all other political parties endorsed former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil for the Jakarta race. With the deadline for independent candidacies passed, PDI-P remained Anies' only option for staying in the contest.

Anies first won the Jakarta governorship in 2017 after defeating then-incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, who was backed by PDI-P. That election was fraught with sectarian tensions, which culminated in Ahok’s imprisonment on blasphemy charges, a case supported by Anies' followers.

Ahok, now a member of PDI-P, has been vocal in his opposition to the idea of Anies representing the party in the upcoming election.

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