Sultan, Jusuf top national poll as most ideal leaders

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla of Golkar would be an ideal duo to lead the nation in 2004, according to one survey.

Of the 10,000 respondents from various educational backgrounds in 14 regencies and 15 municipalities nationwide, 29.7 percent favored the two Golkar figures proposed.

The survey, conducted by Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated between March 1 and March 10, also showed that 27.0 percent of the respondents favored the pair of noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid and Yusuf Kalla, and perhaps most notably, only 19 percent said they would support incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Only 10 percent of the respondents favored the pair of People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Amien Rais and Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and a measly 6 percent for Megawati and her current Vice President Hamzah Haz.

A similar poll conducted last July, showed that the pair of Megawati and Susilo had the majority of support.

Sukardi Rinakit, director of the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated, pointed out that the poll's results showed the people's shifting opinion of current politicians.

"Generally, the people have little trust in any current political leaders. That's why the support for Megawati and Amien Rais is smaller than the support for independent candidates," Sukardi added.

A similar survey conducted by SS Syndicated showed that most respondents favored Megawati and Susilo to lead the nation in 2004.

Political analysts Rizal Malarangeng and J. Kristiadi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Bilveer Singh of the National University of Singapore (NUS), and economist M. Chatib Basri from the University of Indonesia (UI) expressed their surprise of the poll results.

Kristiadi questioned the people's preference of Hamengkubuwono but said the survey showed the people expressed their dissatisfaction with the ruling government and that many were probably nostalgic for the sultan's father Hamengkubuwono IX.

Rizal emphasized that both Hamengkubuwono X and Kalla were Golkar Party members, the symbol of the New Order government.

"Although the results of this poll are interesting, it will be hard for a party to nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates," he said.

According to Rizal, political parties would create coalitions with others to gain support before the election.

For economist Chatib Basri the emergence of Hamengkubuwono and Nurcholish Madjid was unexpected because neither of them has ever spoke about the issue of economic recovery.

Chatib pointed out that Amien Rais had often proclaimed his economic agenda - opposing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and privatization scheme.

In a related development, the New United Indonesian Party (PIB) has unanimously agreed to nominate its chairman Sjahrir as presidential candidate in the 2004 presidential election.

During the convention, all provincial and regency branches of the party reached the agreement during its ongoing national working meeting here on Wednesday.

Sjahrir, Indonesia's renowned economist told The Jakarta Post that the event would be attended by 1,000 party member from 31 provinces and 500 regencies nationwide.