Susilo, Kalla pairing people's choice: Poll

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The favorite pairing for the next president and vice president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, cofounder of the Democratic Party and Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar Party, a survey which findings were revealed on Friday said.

The couple defeated president incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz, the survey by the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated (SSS) showed. Held in 33 cities/regencies in 15 provinces, it revealed that Susilo, the former security minister, was prefered for president by 43 percent of 5,000 respondents while Megawati was only chosen by 20.5 respondents.

"With Susilo's military background and Jusuf's business experience, people viewed them as an ideal pair that could solve current problems security and economics," SSS executive director Sukardi Rinakit said.

The results echoed that of recent polls such as the one by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) in which most of 2,760 respondents in 32 provinces prefered Susilo as the sixth president.

The poll conducted between April 10-14 placed the leader of National Mandate Party Amien Rais (11.78 percent), Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung (7.5 percent) and former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto (5.28 percent), in the third, fourth and fifth place.

For vice president, Sukardi said respondents favored Kalla who is also Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare (20.5 percent) over Hidayat Nurwahid, leader of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who gained 15.78 percent.

The results showing the preferred couple was "surprising", Sukardi said, adding that the names were given by respondents who replied to open questions.

He said people viewed Susilo as the underdog victimized by the Megawati leadership, just like the reaction reflected in the results of the 1999 elections toward Megawati herself and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) under the oppressive New Order regime.

Observer Muslim Abdurrahman who also addressed the discussion of the survey's presentation, urged people close to Susilo and Kalla to convince them to coalesce.

"In particular people close to Kalla should convince him to resign from the current Golkar convention," Muslim said, even though Kalla has indicated that he might be more interested in the vice presidency.

According to a survey conducted by Kompas daily involving 2,006 respondents which was announced on Monday, 58.7 percent of respondents preferred a national leader with military backgrounds.