Brilio.net/en - I met Anies Baswedan at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Jakartain 2015.
Anchoring for a media partner with WEF and running a live broadcast all day, I was buzzed and spotted an opportunity for a scoop when I saw him.
I was touched by the friendliness, the way he laughed at how excited I was to meet a Minister and grasped my shoulders. A lot ofpeople to fake that camaraderie. I learned more about him in that moment that I would have in a 40 minute interview.
His assistant never got back to me. Whatevs.
As for his running-mate, Brilio's Christabelle Palar had a sit-down with Sandiaga Uno. It was a light interview for shortform video but you can see - it was easy for the financier to be genuine.
But let's take a look atthe results: Ahok thundered to victory in West and North Jakarta, with leads of more than 20 and 10 percent respectively. But only in the West did the incumbent get an overall majority with 53 percent. In Central Jakarta, just 2 percent separated him from Anies.Anies and Sandi dominated the South and East of the city, winning by over 6 percent in both.
The first reaction of some is that the 14-21 percent bloc that voted for Agus Yudhoyono will switch allegiance to Anies. I don't think it is going to be that easy - frankly I do not think he is going to win, but no further comment on that until next week at least and again when the KPU gives out official detailed breakdowns in March.
The big victory is one of character.
Despite the political maneuvering to position himself forthere is a word that eludes, not quite on people's tongues - statesman-like (sebang negarawan).
As much as I love hip hop, the Agus-Sylvi decision to make a hip hop political campaign videois not very negarawan (have any every worked anywhere?), neither was the campaign's mean streak and on the other side nor wasAhok's insensitivity.I never got this feeling from the Anies-Sandi camp.
So while the brutal fight for Jakarta continues, after this result I am watching for something much, much bigger.
2019 and 2024.
The views in this article do not necessarily reflect Brilio's.
(brl/red)
