Amien is the preffered presidential candidate
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais tops the list of the 20 most popular prospective presidential candidates, winning the support of 22.2 percent of eligible voters, according to the results of a poll revealed on Thursday.
The survey, jointly conducted by the University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences and the Voters Empowerment Committee, polled 2,000 eligible voters in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Banda Aceh, Medan and Ujungpandang. Respondents were asked to pick their favorite prospective presidential candidate.
Rounding out the top five prospective candidates were Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI Perjuangan (21.3 percent), President B.J. Habibie (17.2 percent), Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (11.5 percent) and Didin Hafiduddin, who is the Justice Party's presidential candidate (3.2 percent).
The rest of the list was as follows: Yusril Ihza Mahendra, chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) with 2.5 percent; noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid with 2.4 percent; chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama Abdurrahman Wahid with 2 percent; Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto with 1.7 percent; and Hamzah Haz, chairman of the United Development Party (PPP), with 1 percent.
Other names mentioned in the poll were General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Rudini, former vice president Try Sutrisno, Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono, Sri Bintang Pamungkas of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI), former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad, former minister of security and defense Edi Sudradjat, Minister of Justice Muladi, Guntur Soekarnoputra, the son of founding president Sukarno, and Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf.
They were all named by less than one percent of poll respondents.
Also, 2.6 percent of respondents replied "anybody will do" and 11.5 percent said "don't know".
"There is a strong tendency for Megawati to get more support in Java. She received 23.8 percent of the vote in Jakarta, 19.6 percent in Yogyakarta and 33.5 percent in Surabaya," Valina Singka Subekti, director of the university's political laboratory, which processed the survey, said.
Amien received the most votes in Jakarta and Banda Aceh with 25.7 percent and 42.4 percent, respectively.
The survey, conducted by phone between April 21 and April 26, revealed that Habibie enjoyed strong support in regions outside of Java. He placed second behind Amien in Banda Aceh with 21.2 percent of the vote, but received 58.8 percent of the vote in Ujungpandang and 19.6 percent in Medan.
"We have a new rising star candidate, Didin Hafiduddin of the Justice Party. We believe he enjoys the support of youths who are not affiliated to either Muhammadiyah or Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)," Valina said.
Muhammadiyah and NU are the largest Muslim organizations in the country.
Valina said the Justice Party drew most of its constituents from among students at Islamic boarding schools and Islamic study groups.
On Tuesday, Amien, Didin, Bintang and Yusril joined a debate of presidential aspirants held by students grouped in the Forum Salemba at the University of Indonesia.
Political observer Eep Saefulloh Fatah, who also helped conduct the poll, suggested that such debates be held again, but in front of the future members of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly who will elect the new president.
"A special debate could be held to show every candidate's capacity in economic, social and political matters," he said before a discussion on legislative candidates on Thursday.
Separately, retired Gen. Kemal Idris urged Megawati to join such a debate. "We need to know her vision," he told Antara.
Megawati has rejected the offer to participate in debates, calling it "inappropriate for eastern culture". (edt)