Amien is the preffered presidential candidate<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nAmien Rais tops the list of the 20 most popular prospective
\npresidential candidates, winning the support of 22.2 percent of
\neligible voters, according to the results of a poll revealed on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The survey, jointly conducted by the University of Indonesia's
\nSchool of Social and Political Sciences and the Voters
\nEmpowerment Committee, polled 2,000 eligible voters in Jakarta,
\nSurabaya, Yogyakarta, Banda Aceh, Medan and Ujungpandang.
\nRespondents were asked to pick their favorite prospective
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the top five prospective candidates were Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle or PDI Perjuangan (21.3 percent), President B.J. Habibie
\n(17.2 percent), Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
\n(11.5 percent) and Didin Hafiduddin, who is the Justice Party's
\npresidential candidate (3.2 percent).<\/p>\n
The rest of the list was as follows: Yusril Ihza Mahendra,
\nchairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) with 2.5 percent; noted
\nMuslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid with 2.4 percent; chairman of
\nNahdlatul Ulama Abdurrahman Wahid with 2 percent; Minister of
\nDefense and Security\/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen.
\nWiranto with 1.7 percent; and Hamzah Haz, chairman of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), with 1 percent.<\/p>\n
Other names mentioned in the poll were General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) chairman Rudini, former vice president Try
\nSutrisno, Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi
\nSasono, Sri Bintang Pamungkas of the Indonesian Democratic Union
\nParty (PUDI), former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad, former
\nminister of security and defense Edi Sudradjat, Minister of
\nJustice Muladi, Guntur Soekarnoputra, the son of founding
\npresident Sukarno, and Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf.<\/p>\n
They were all named by less than one percent of poll
\nrespondents.<\/p>\n
Also, 2.6 percent of respondents replied \"anybody will do\" and
\n11.5 percent said \"don't know\".<\/p>\n
\"There is a strong tendency for Megawati to get more support
\nin Java. She received 23.8 percent of the vote in Jakarta, 19.6
\npercent in Yogyakarta and 33.5 percent in Surabaya,\" Valina
\nSingka Subekti, director of the university's political
\nlaboratory, which processed the survey, said.<\/p>\n
Amien received the most votes in Jakarta and Banda Aceh with
\n25.7 percent and 42.4 percent, respectively.<\/p>\n
The survey, conducted by phone between April 21 and April 26,
\nrevealed that Habibie enjoyed strong support in regions outside
\nof Java. He placed second behind Amien in Banda Aceh with 21.2
\npercent of the vote, but received 58.8 percent of the vote in
\nUjungpandang and 19.6 percent in Medan.<\/p>\n
\"We have a new rising star candidate, Didin Hafiduddin of the
\nJustice Party. We believe he enjoys the support of youths who are
\nnot affiliated to either Muhammadiyah or Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),\"
\nValina said.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah and NU are the largest Muslim organizations in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Valina said the Justice Party drew most of its constituents
\nfrom among students at Islamic boarding schools and Islamic study
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Amien, Didin, Bintang and Yusril joined a debate
\nof presidential aspirants held by students grouped in the Forum
\nSalemba at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Political observer Eep Saefulloh Fatah, who also helped
\nconduct the poll, suggested that such debates be held again, but
\nin front of the future members of the House of Representatives
\nand the People's Consultative Assembly who will elect the new
\npresident.<\/p>\n
\"A special debate could be held to show every candidate's
\ncapacity in economic, social and political matters,\" he said
\nbefore a discussion on legislative candidates on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Separately, retired Gen. Kemal Idris urged Megawati to join
\nsuch a debate. \"We need to know her vision,\" he told Antara.<\/p>\n
Megawati has rejected the offer to participate in debates,
\ncalling it \"inappropriate for eastern culture\". (edt)<\/p>",
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