Close race expected in election runoff, survey shows<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With only three weeks to go until the election runoff, a pollster
\nrevealed on Wednesday the two candidates would face an uphill
\nbattle to win the presidency, according to the latest approval
\nratings from electorates.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated (SSS) found 41.3
\npercent of respondents would vote for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on
\nSept. 20, against 34.68 percent who preferred incumbent Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The possibility of Megawati winning the runoff would be
\ngreater if the political machines of the four parties grouped in
\nthe Nationhood Coalition could work effectively, it added.<\/p>\n
\"With such a close margin -- only six percent -- Megawati's
\nchance of winning is greater, while Susilo's camp would have to
\nwork hard to maintain its lead,\" SSS researcher Sukardi Rinakit
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The SSS interviewed 5,000 respondents in 17 of the country's
\n32 provinces between Aug. 14 and Aug. 26, and rates its margin of
\nerror at 1.4 percent.<\/p>\n
The poll discovered that aside from a favorable response from
\n91.59 percent of Democratic Party supporters, 41.53 percent of
\nthose who voted for Golkar Party candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto in
\nthe July 5 presidential election said they would vote for Susilo.<\/p>\n
\"A considerable portion of Wiranto's supporters, or 34.41
\npercent, will cast their ballots for Megawati and Hasyim Muzadi
\nin the runoff,\" the survey said.<\/p>\n
As for Megawati, apart from a 89.61 percent endorsement from
\nher constituents, 54.07 percent of those who voted for United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) candidate Hamzah Haz on July 5 favored
\nher reelection.<\/p>\n
However, Susilo still has greater support from members of
\nother political parties: 44.07 percent from Golkar, 45.08 percent
\nfrom the National Awakening Party (PKB) and 52.19 percent from
\nthe Crescent Star Party (PBB).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the poll found that 59.79 percent of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN) would abstain.<\/p>\n
With such a close race, the likelihood of clashes erupting
\nbetween supporters of the rival candidates was greater, and party
\nleaders would need to control their supporters to prevent
\npossible violence, the SSS recommended.<\/p>\n
Separately on Wednesday, another Jakarta-based pollster, the
\nIndonesian Survey Institute (LSI), painted a different picture of
\nthe Sept. 20 runoff.<\/p>\n
In its latest survey, covering 1,200 respondents in all 32
\nprovinces from Aug. 23 to Aug. 25, the LSI found 61.1 percent of
\nrespondents would vote for Susilo, as opposed to 30.3 percent who
\nfavored the incumbent President.<\/p>\n
The margin of error is 3 percent.<\/p>\n
Megawati's standing had improved slightly against an earlier
\nsurvey, in which 68.1 percent of respondents favored Susilo, with
\nonly 23.3 percent preferring Megawati.<\/p>\n
Results of the latest LSI survey also underscored that
\nsupporters were not swayed by their parties' preferences.<\/p>\n
\"Only around 4 percent of Golkar supporters (who preferred
\nother candidates) changed their minds (to favor Megawati),
\ndespite their party's instruction to vote for Megawati in the
\nrunoff. The figure is 8 percent for PPP supporters,\" LSI research
\ndirector Muhammad Qodari said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/close-race-expected-in-election-runoff-survey-shows-1447893297",
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