Megawati loses, Susilo gains ground: Survey

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public support for incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri has dropped significantly during the past few months while those who backed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono increased, according to a survey on Wednesday.

The poll, conducted by the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated agency said Megawati's support fell from 30.10 percent in November to a mere 19.74 percent in February.

Meanwhile, support for Susilo, the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, more than doubled -- from 5.20 percent in November, to 12.56 percent in February.

The survey involved 5,000 people through face-to-face interviews in 19 cities and 14 regencies across the country from Feb. 24 through March 5.

Support for Amien Rais' People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) also dropped from 28.16 percent in November last year to 18.54 percent in February.

Other presidential hopefuls, Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid and Yusril Ihza Mahendra, got 11.82 percent and 7.36 percent respectively.

The survey predicted the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle would win the legislative election on April 5 with 20.74 percent of the vote, followed by Golkar with 15.16 percent.

SSS executive director Sukardi Rinakit said other figures, such as Gen. (ret) Wiranto; Soeharto's daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana; former minister Siswono Yudohusodo; United Development Party leader Hamzah Haz; Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung; and New Indonesia Alliance Party leader Sjahrir did not get significant support as presidential candidates.

"It is possible some of them will be ruled out of contesting the presidential election because their respective parties fail to meet the electoral threshold," he said at a discussion here on Wednesday.

Also speaking in the discussion were German political scientist Marcus Meiztner, sociologist Moeslim Abdurrahman, analyst J. Kristiadi, and politician Andi Mallarangeng.

Poll respondents picked Megawati would ask for Jusuf Kalla, of Golkar, as her vice presidential candidate, and Amien would choose Susilo as his running mate.

The country will hold a presidential election on July 5 with a possible run-off on Sept. 20. It will be preceded by the legislative election on April 5.