Anies Baswedan at the XVI National Working Meeting of the Association of Indonesian Municipal Governments in Makassar, Thursday (13/7/2023). Photo: CNN.
MAKASSAR, THE NUSANTARA POST – One of the recommendations of the XVI National Working Meeting of the Association of Indonesian Municipal Governments (Apeksi) in Makassar is to support the continuation of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN) Nusantara project.
“We have three concentrations here, and one of them is that we don’t want the development to be halted in this political year. So this transition must continue,” said the Chairman of Apeksi, Bima Arya, during the National Working Meeting at Upper Hills Building on Tanjung Bunga Street, Makassar, South Sulawesi, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, July 14, 2023.
During the event, Bima Arya asked Anies about IKN after the former Governor of Jakarta finished answering a question from the Mayor of Mojokerto, Ika Puspitasari. Bima Arya asked Anies for his views on the development plan of IKN that has been ongoing.
“This will become the headline. But we want to talk about the city more broadly,” Anies joked, receiving applause and laughter from the audience.
Anies then explained that all regional leaders are politically elected through the regional elections process. In managing a program, he said, regional leaders would feel that if something is well-planned, well-prepared, and has a strong foundation, there is no need for political muscle to implement it. “It will naturally progress,” said Anies, as monitored through a Youtube broadcast.
On the other hand, if the program doesn’t have a strong foundation, including who benefits from it, the mayor will work hard using political muscle to make the program run. “I see that if this (IKN) is a good plan, it will definitely continue,” he said.
“But if there are problems with this (IKN) … I sometimes wonder, why is it often asked about? Is there actually a problem? Why am I not asked about affordable food, about fuel subsidies? Why is it always IKN that is asked about? Is there a subconscious question within us? That’s my answer,” said Anies (Ant/TC/TNP).
