Susilo heading toward landslide: Poll

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Almost a month before the presidential election, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appears to be well ahead in the presidential race according to a survey jointly conducted by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and the Polling Center survey organization.

Yanti B. Sugarda, managing director of the Polling Center, said on Wednesday that Susilo topped the poll with 41 percent of the preferences, followed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri with 11.2 percent.

Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto came in third with 10 percent of the preferences, followed by National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais with 4.4 percent, she said.

United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz only obtained 3 percent of the preferences, Yanti added.

Some 29.5 percent of the preferences went to candidates who have not been registered by the KPU as presidential candidates.

The survey was conducted in two stages, with the first lasting from April 20 to April 27 and the second from May 1 to May 8, in 16 provinces during the first stage and 15 provinces during the second. A total of 2,000 respondents were asked to state their preferences in face-to-face interviews.

Prior to this survey, the IFES conducted 10 similar surveys starting in December 2003.

However, those surveys failed to take into account how each candidate's selection of running mate might influence people's choices.

Yanti went on to say that the survey found Susilo was in the lead across the country, except in Sulawesi where Wiranto came out ahead on 35 percent.

The survey also discovered that 31.1 percent of Golkar supporters would vote for Susilo -- almost equal to the percentage of those who said they would vote for Wiranto (34.4 percent).

At least 27.7 percent of National Awakening Party (PKB) supporters would vote for Susilo, while 2.2 percent would choose Megawati, and 1.5 percent would opt for Wiranto, Yanti said.

The PKB officially supports the Wiranto-Solahuddin Wahid ticket, while Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi is standing as Megawati's running mate.

Amien Rais and Hamzah Haz are supported by less than 50 percent of the supporters of their respective parties, she said.

Regarding their reasons for choosing particular candidates, 63 percent of respondents said that policies were as important as the personalities of the candidates.

At least 30 percent of respondents said that price stability was the most important issue that needed to be addressed.

Another 30 percent said corruption was the most important issue, while 26 percent stated unemployment to be the most pressing problem.