Sultan, Jusuf top national poll as most ideal leaders

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.