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.