Polls show Susilo with giant lead, just under 50 percent

Polls show Susilo with giant lead, just under 50 percent

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta

A Jakarta-based pollster confirmed on Thursday the popular appeal
of Democratic Party candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in its
latest survey.

The poll by Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated (SSS) shows that 46.64
percent of respondents said they would vote for Susilo and
running mate Jusuf Kalla in the July 5 election, as they believed
Susilo-Kalla were most capable of resolving the myriad of
problems facing the country.

The SSS interviewed 5,000 respondents in 17 of the country's
32 provinces for the opinion poll. The poll was conducted from
May 21 to June 1, when the month-long campaign period began.

The poll asked respondents to select the candidates they
believed could tackle the issues of unemployment, poverty,
inflation of basic commodities, separatism and terrorism, among
others.

Following far behind Susilo-Kalla was National Mandate Party
(PAN) candidate Amien Rais and running mate Siswono Yudohusodo at
19.70 percent.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) candidates
incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi came
third at 13.78 percent, ahead of Golkar Party candidates Wiranto
and Solahuddin Wahid at 10.56 percent.

Trailing the polls are United Development Party (PPP)
candidates Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar at 2.34 percent.

Earlier, the Polling Center, in collaboration with the
International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), published a
survey that also showed Susilo leading at 41 percent, with
Megawati a distant second at 11.2 percent.

Another survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) showed
the same results.

Sukardi Rinakit of the SSS said although the survey confirmed
that Susilo-Kalla was the most popular ticket, "it doesn't take
into account the political machine."

He said candidates such as Wiranto and Megawati were backed by
very strong political machines that could contribute greatly to
their victory.

Megawati chairs the PDI-P, which has long been associated with
the grassroots, while Wiranto was officially nominated by Golkar,
the political vehicle of former president Soeharto, which still
has abundant resources at its disposal.

"We can't tell yet whether there will there be a connection
between candidates' political vehicles and their popularity," he
said.

Susilo made headlines upon his resigning as top security
minister earlier this year after a highly publicized spat with
Megawati and her husband, businessmen Taufik Kiemas, alleging
that the head of state had left him out in the cold while drawing
up crucial security policies.

The Democratic Party he cofounded garnered more than 7 percent
of votes in the April 5 legislative election, just ahead of the
Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The Islam-based
Crescent Star Party and the nationalist Indonesian Justice and
Unity Party.

However, pundits have begun to doubt his real strength, saying
that Susilo would fare no better in the presidential election
than his political vehicle did in April.