Presidential candidate Anies rejects Nusantara as new capital

Developing just one location will create new inequality in Indonesia, he says

- Arlina Arshad

Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has shot down the idea of moving the country's administrative capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, saying this will create "new inequality" among different regions.

"What is needed in Indonesia today is equitable growth where development is carried out not just in one location, but also in many locations," he said on Nov 26.

"This is our vision and we (in the coalition) are all preparing a programme structure to be able to encourage villages to develop - small towns to become medium, medium ones to become large throughout Indonesia."

"Don't let us build only in one location, which actually creates new inequality," Mr Anies said, adding that the budget allocated to one location must be replicated in others too.

He was responding to a journalist who sought his thoughts on a statement by Islam-based opposition Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) - one of the parties supporting his presidential bid - which rejected the plan to shift the capital.

PKS president Ahmad Syaikhu said at the party's national working meeting on Nov 26 that Jakarta should be retained as the national capital, and Nusantara can instead become the centre of economic growth when it is completed.

Another party supporting Mr Anies, the National Awakening Party (PKB), is taking a wait-andsee approach.

Its vice-chairman, Mr Jazilul Fawaid, said PKB wants to see how the coalition parties fare in the upcoming elections, according to national newspaper Kompas.