Amien Rais tops Lampung poll

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: A poll of 1,402 respondents held by students of Lampung University has top ranked Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party as future president, Antara reported Wednesday.

Held by the Teknokra student newspaper, the survey involved students from various higher education institutions in Bandar Lampung.

The poll showed that 28.2 percent voted for Amien Rais, 15.05 percent elected Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the popular faction of the splintered Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI Perjuangan), 6 percent chose Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chairman of Nahdatul Ulama, followed by Yogyakarta monarch and governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X with 4.8 percent. President B.J. Habibie came last with 3.07 percent.

Another 5.27 percent chose "others" who included former vice president Try Sutrisno, Minister of Security and Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, chairman of the Crescent Star Party Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and new politician and chairman of the Justice Party Nur Mahmudi Ismail.

Thirty five percent declined to indicate their president of preference. As for vice president, Megawati topped the list with 21.9 percent, followed by Amien (20.7 percent), Abdurrahman (8.8 percent) while 35.4 percent were "undecided". (edt)