Jakarta. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan publicly endorsed Pramono Anung’s candidacy for Jakarta governorship on Thursday and urged his supporters to follow suit.

Anies, whose reelection bid failed due to a lack of support from any major political party, joined Pramono at a campaign event in South Jakarta to show his explicit support.

He said his main supporter group, Anak Abah (father’s children), will vote for Pramono and his running mate Rano Karno in next week’s election.

"My supporters under Anak Abah will support Pramono and Rano, that’s for certain," Anies told reporters during the campaign.

Anies, who led the city from 2017 to 2022, said he believed Pramono would carry on his policies in Jakarta.

"I thank Brother Anies for his open support for me and my running mate," Pramono responded on the campaign stage. "Rest assured that I and Rano will carry on the positive programs initiated by Brother Anies." 

Anies was the early frontrunner for the Jakarta gubernatorial election until it was confirmed that he couldn’t contest the election due to a lack of party endorsement. He couldn’t run as an independent candidate because the registration deadline had already expired when he was still approaching parties for their support.

Recent polls indicate that Pramono, a former cabinet secretary, has the edge over his main rival, former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil.