Todays News Media Indonesia 25112013_End is near for Dems, says LSI A new public opinion survey has sounded the death knell for the ruling Democratic Party (PD), with the party projected to receive less than 10 percent of the vote in the 2014 legislative election. The Jakarta-based pollster, the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI), also predicted the PD would encounter serious problems building a coalition with other political parties due to intensified graft prosecutions launched against PD politicians. A survey by the LSI in January 2011 found the PD would garner 20.5 percent of the vote if an election had taken place at that time, but the number has steadily declined to only 9.8 percent in the pollster’s latest round of surveys conducted in October this year. The LSI found the presence of figures like former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin and former chairman Anas Urbaningrum, both of whom had been implicated in graft cases, had contributed to the party’s slump in electability. The declining approval rating for party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had also contributed to the slump, the LSI found. Yudhoyono’s job approval rating dropped to 44.9 percent in October this year from 56.7 percent in January 2011. The LSI also found the ongoing PD convention to select a presidential ticket had failed to improve the party’s standing against other political parties, with candidates contesting the race failing to compete with established names endorsed by rival parties like Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie. “Other political parties will be reluctant to collaborate with the Democratic Party in the presidential election because the low electability ratings of contestants in the convention will unlikely boost their ticket,” LSI researcher Rully Akbar said. The situation could also prove to be a vicious circle for the PD as its share of the vote in the 2014 legislative election may not be significant enough to attract other political parties to build a coalition. “The Democratic Party will have a hard time attracting support from parties to form a coalition in the [ presidential] election due to its free falling electability rating,” Rully said. The PD had earlier announced that 11 participants could contest its convention. The candidates are Indonesian Army chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Minister Gita Wirjawan, House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Speaker Irman Gusman, lawmaker Hayono Isman from House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs and North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang. The LSI’s research found the most popular figure in the PD convention, Dahlan, had an electability rating of 10 percent, below the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri with 18 percent. The survey found that less than 60 percent of the 1,200 respondents interviewed for the survey between September and October this year were familiar with candidates contesting the PD convention. The survey also found that more than 70 percent of respondents said they knew Megawati, Golkar chairman Aburizal, Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party chief patron tr Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto and aan Jakarta Governor Jokowi. Responding to findings from the survey, su PD deputy chairman Max Sopacua S warned pollsters not to rush to conclusions. “The real elections are still five months away. Many things can happen from now until then. There are still opportunities for us to improve on our performance,” Max said. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) member Ali Masykur Musa, Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan, StateOwned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan, Indonesian Ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal, former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Endriartono Sutarto, Trade
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 00:37:56 +0000
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