Megawati risks losing both elections: Survey<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri risks losing her bid in the
\nupcoming presidential election against her former top security
\nminister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, while the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) she leads is predicted to
\ncome second after the Golkar Party, two opinion polls revealed.<\/p>\n
The first survey, on the impact of the campaign on voters'
\npreference for presidential candidates and the 24 political
\nparties contesting the 2004 election, was conducted from March 18
\nto March 24 and involved 2,760 respondents from all 32 provinces.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) researchers used the multi-
\nstage random sampling method in the campaign impact survey, for
\nwhich eight respondents in each of 145 cities and 200 villages
\nwere interviewed. Respondents broke down into 42 percent urban
\nand 58 percent rural respondents. LSI researchers set the margin
\nof error at 2 percent.<\/p>\n
According to the survey, Megawati only garnered 17.4 percent
\nin the poll compared to 20.9 percent for the former coordinating
\nminister, despite her intensive media campaign.<\/p>\n
Renowned Indonesianist William Liddle said at a press
\nconference held by LSI that Megawati's inability to communicate
\nwith the public had contributed much to diminishing her appeal.<\/p>\n
\"Her incumbency hasn't done much to improve her image, as she
\ncreated many political adversaries along the way,\" Liddle said.<\/p>\n
On the contrary, Susilo had been able to capitalize on his
\nformer post to boost his statesmanship image, he said. \"But it is
\nalso because of his charm.\"<\/p>\n
As for the PDI-P, the party gained only 17.2 percent of
\nsupport from respondents, coming in second after Golkar, which
\nreceived 23.2 percent.<\/p>\n
However, Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung, who was recently
\nacquitted by the Supreme Court in a graft case, only ranked
\nfourth with 8.4 percent support, after National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) leader Amien Rais with 9.9 percent.<\/p>\n
The emergence of Susilo was also thought to have contributed
\nto the improved performance of the Democratic Party from a
\nlittle-known party into a second-tier political party with 4.9
\npercent support, just below the Islam-based Prosperous Justice
\nParty (PKS) with 5.5 percent.<\/p>\n
Susilo quit his ministerial post last month after announcing
\npublicly that Megawati had left him out in the cold regarding
\ncertain political and security matters.<\/p>\n
The second poll, conducted from March 21 to March 28 by the
\nInternational Foundation for Electoral Studies (IFES) showed
\nsimilar results.<\/p>\n
For the presidential election on July 5, Susilo received 18.4
\npercent support compared to Megawati's 11.6 percent, Amien's 7.9
\npercent and Akbar's 5 percent, the survey said as reported by
\nAgence-France Presse.<\/p>\n
A previous IFES survey showed that Megawati had garnered 11.5
\npercent support, Amien 10.3 percent, Susilo 8.3 percent and Akbar
\n6.5 percent. Tue<\/p>\n
IFES survey found that Golkar had garnered 19 percent support
\nin the polls, against PDI-P's 8.6 percent and PAN's 7.3 percent.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-risks-losing-both-elections-survey-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}