Mr Widodo said Mr Ridwan was the right person to lead Jakarta, a bustling metropolis that faces issues such as flooding and air pollution.
On Thursday (Nov 21), Mr Ridwan told the media that he hoped Jokowi would attend his final campaign event on Saturday (Nov 23) before the cooling-off period begins on Sunday.
Mr Anies, meanwhile, finally declared his support for Mr Pramono on Thursday (Nov 21).
At a campaign event for Mr Pramono at Block S Square in South Jakarta, Mr Anies urged his supporters, also known as “Anak Abah”, to vote for Mr Pramono and his running mate Rano Karno.
Mr Pramono responded by promising to continue the policies Mr Anies had championed when he was Jakarta governor from 2017 to 2022. “Rest assured that I and Rano will carry on the positive programmes initiated by Mr Anies,” Mr Pramono said.
With Mr Anies’ backing, Mr Pramono believes there will be fewer residents who will abstain from voting.
“Mr Anies’s extraordinary support would mean that the number of people who will abstain from voting will decrease. Based on surveys, about 26 per cent of voters are currently considering abstention, but this number is likely to fall,” Mr Pramono told his supporters on Nov 21, as quoted by local media outlet Kompas.
Mr Anies was to have been a candidate in the latest Jakarta gubernatorial election, but could not contest due to a lack of party endorsement.
“LIMITED” INFLUENCE OR GAMECHANGER?
While some observers believe the support of two influential figures is a possible “gamechanger” in the regional elections, others say their influence “appears limited”.
Mr Made Supriatma, visiting research fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, noted that Jokowi’s endorsement of the Ridwan-Suswono pair, in particular, “doesn’t seem to carry much weight”.
“Jakarta’s electorate, which is predominantly middle-class and politically informed, often exhibits a degree of independence,” he told CNA, noting that Mr Widodo’s influence in the capital city seems to be weaker as compared to regions like Central Java, where he is backing governor candidate Ahmad Luthfi.
Mr Anies’ influence, however, may give a slight edge to the Pramono-Rano pair, said Mr Made, citing how many of Mr Anies’ supporters were frustrated by his inability to run for office due to a lack of party backing.
But there is no guarantee that Mr Anies’ supporters will rally behind Mr Pramono as a substantial number may want to abstain, Mr Made noted. He added that the candidates have to connect with voters on the ground.
Indonesia’s simultaneous regional elections next Wednesday (Nov 27) will be the largest in its history. A total of 545 positions are contested and Indonesians will elect 37 governors, 93 mayors and 415 regents.
Jakarta is the only province that will see a second round of voting between the two leading candidates early next year if noone wins more than 50 per cent of the vote on Nov 27.
