Susilo most popular candidate: Poll

Susilo most popular candidate: Poll

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post

After the results of independent polls were announced, rival
politicians acknowledged on Monday the popularity of presidential
candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Jusuf
Kalla.

A survey conducted by the Democracy Study Institute (LKaDe),
an institute founded by the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) politicians, revealed that Susilo and Kalla were
popular among 45.17 percent of respondents, with Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi a distant second with 18.88
percent.

Megawati, the incumbent President, chairs PDI-P. She is
seeking a full five-year mandate in the July 5 presidential
election following her party's poor performance in the
legislative election.

The survey was conducted on 1,833 respondents in 15 cities
across Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Bali, between June
27 and June 29. The polling used stratified random sampling and a
deep interview method with a margin of error of 2 percent.

"The popularity of Susilo and Kalla showed in almost all of
the cities," LKaDe chairman Sukowaluyo Mintohardjo told a press
conference. PDI-P politicians, Arifin Panigoro, Didi Supriyanto
and Tumbu Saraswati were also in attendance.

Trailing Megawati were Amien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo with
15.81 percent, followed by Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid with
12.95 percent and Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar with 4.7 percent.

The Susilo-Kalla ticket also emerged the runaway leader in
previous surveys.

The breakdown of the poll conducted by the LKaDe also saw
Susilo and Kalla, who are running under the Democratic Party, top
the standings.

Most women (50,33 percent) chose Susilo and Kalla, compared to
14.3 percent which went to Megawati.

"This proves there is no gender correlation between women
voters and female candidates," Sukowaluyo said.

Susilo and Kalla were also popular among new voters, as they
were chosen by 50.88 percent of respondents aged between 17 and
25. Amien and Siswono came second with 17.29 percent, ahead of
Megawati and Hasyim with 15.54 percent.

Religious communities also put their trust in Susilo and
Kalla. The LKaDe poll found 44.05 percent of Muslim voters were
in favor of Susilo and Kalla, far above duo Amien and Siswono who
gained 18.51 percent. Megawati and Hasyim came third with 14.8
percent, slightly ahead of Wiranto and Solahuddin with 14.45
percent and Hamzah and Agum with 5.64 percent.

"Although Hasyim and Solahuddin hail from the country's
largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama and Amien from the
country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, people
still prefer Susilo," Sukowaluyo said.

Susilo and Kalla were the favorites among Catholics (50.86
percent), Protestants (50 percent), Hindus (50.98 percent,
Buddhists (47.73 percent) and Confucianists (46.67 percent).

The poll also revealed Susilo and Kalla have won the hearts of
41.92 percent of civil servants, 41.86 percent of farmers, 54.31
percent of students and 54.31 percent of housewives.

Although Susilo's party only garnered 7.5 percent of the vote
in the April 5 legislative election, Susilo looks set to win the
presidential race, thanks to support from 44.57 percent of Golkar
Party voters, 24 percent of PDI-P supporters, 40 percent of
National Awakening Party supporters, 34 percent of United
Development Party voters and 42.39 percent of Prosperous Justice
Party supporters, the LKaDe poll revealed.