Opposition-backed candidate Pramono Anung takes lead in Jakarta governor race: Survey
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Some 42.1 per cent of respondents say they will choose Jakarta governor candidate Pramono Anung, according to an Indikator Politik Indonesia survey published on Nov 22.
PHOTO: WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA
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JAKARTA – A candidate backed by Indonesia’s opposition has taken the lead in the pivotal race for Jakarta governor less than a week before the regional elections, according to the latest survey.
Some 42.1 per cent of respondents said they would choose Mr Pramono Anung, a senior politician backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to lead the country’s capital, according to an Indikator Politik Indonesia survey published on Nov 22.
Mr Ridwan Kamil, the candidate allied with President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor Joko Widodo, was a close second with 40.5 per cent, while an independent candidate was a distant third with 4.8 per cent.
The survey polled 1,229 respondents by telephone across the capital between Nov 15 and 21.
It would be difficult to predict a clear winner for the Jakarta gubernatorial race as about 25 per cent identified as swing voters, reducing the chances of a decisive one-round victory, said Mr Burhanuddin Muhtadi, executive director of pollster Indikator.
“There should be a 5 per cent difference,” he said.
Under Indonesian election rules, if no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote during the Nov 27 polls, a run-off election will be held later on.
A defeat for Mr Ridwan would effectively be an upset. He is a former governor of Indonesia’s most populous province, West Java, and a well-known social media personality.
He is also endorsed by Mr Prabowo and Mr Widodo and the 13 political parties comprising the ruling coalition.
But Mr Pramono’s momentum has strengthened in the run-up to the vote, thanks to supporters of Mr Anies Baswedan, a former Jakarta governor and prominent critic of Mr Widodo, the survey findings show.
This support is widely seen to have galvanised segments of Jakarta’s electorate that are critical of the ruling coalition.
This will likely serve as a wake-up call for the ruling coalition in the final stretch of the vote, said politician Maruarar Sirait of Gerindra, Mr Prabowo’s party.
“With Anies supporting Pramono, it’s like awakening a sleeping tiger. It’s called Jokowi and Prabowo. They will consolidate quickly,” he said, referring to Mr Widodo by his popular name. BLOOMBERG
