Jakarta. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) made a surprise announcement on Sunday, nominating former chairman Mohamad Sohibul Iman as their candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Jakarta.

The Muslim-based party was widely expected to pick former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, as it did in the 2017 election and also for the presidential election in February.

“As the party that won the legislative election in Jakarta, PKS decided to nominate its best cadre as the candidate for Jakarta governor. Our nominee is Mohamad Sohibul Iman, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of the PKS advisory council," PKS spokesman Ahmad Mabruri said in a statement.

During Sohibul’s leadership from 2015 to 2020, PKS increased its seats in the House of Representatives from 40 to 50 and boosted its popular vote from 8.46 million to 11.49 million, the spokesman noted.

“He has a proven record of quality leadership, bringing PKS to the next level. He is a career politician, having served as a House member for three terms and also as a deputy speaker,” Ahmad said of Sohibul.

Before his political career, Sohibul was known as a Muslim scholar and served as the chancellor of Jakarta-based Paramadina University.

“Mr. Sohibul Iman is the right candidate to lead Jakarta,” Ahmad said.

The running mate will be selected later after PKS establishes a coalition with other parties, he added.

This development puts Anies’ bid for re-election in limbo. So far, he has received support only from the National Awakening Party (PKB), which needs to form a coalition with at least two other parties to be eligible to nominate a candidate.