Megawati loses, Susilo gains ground: Survey

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.