Jakarta. A survey by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank, showed that nearly half of the voters registered for this year’s elections are still undecided about who they will vote for.
“That means they can still change their mind, according to 45.8 percent of voters,” said CSIS researcher Philips Vermonte on Monday, adding that the institution’s survey also showed 42.4 percent claimed they are certain of their choice.
Philips said the findings indicated the competition in both the legislative and presidential elections remained tight.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) topped the survey as being the party most favored by respondents, with 20.1 percent of the votes, followed by the Golkar Party with 15.8 percent and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) with 11.3 percent.
Other parties got less than 10 percent, such as the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) with 6.7 percent, the National Awakening Party (PKB) with 6.7 percent, the Democratic Party with 5.8 percent, the National Mandate Party (PAN) with 4.8 percent, the United Development Party (PPP) with 3.5 percent, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 3.4 percent, while the National Democratic Party (NasDem), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesia Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) earned 3.4 percent, 1.3 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
Philips pointed out that the study also found Hanura’s voters to be the most loyal compared to other parties.
“Among the parties participating in the elections, Hanura has managed to establish their voter base, 65.2 percent of whom said they will surely be voting for the party,” he said.
The PKS came in second as the party with the most loyal voters at 58.5 percent, followed by Golkar with 57.9 percent, Gerindra with 52.9 percent and the PPP with 52.4 percent. Despite the popularity of its presidential candidate, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, the PDI-P came in sixth with only 46.1 percent of their voters claiming the party was their final choice.
Philips underlined that corruption was one of the factors that could prompt a change in voters’ decision, especially in the upcoming presidential election.
“When asked what would sway them, corruption was the most common answer,” Philips said.
Separately, Pramono Edhie Wibowo, a candidate running in the Democrats’ presidential convention, said on Monday that his party was optimistic it would be in the top three parties in the legislative poll.
Pramono claimed the party had managed to up its electability to 11 percent as the April 9 election draws nearer, an improvement compared to a 4.7 percent electability earlier this year.
“I’m sure that party members will continue to work and our position will improve as time goes by,” he said, adding that the party had been working hard in pushing for Indonesia’s security and welfare.
“The Democratic Party will continue to communicate evidence of success during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s 10-year presidency,” Pramono said.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/everything-fight-voters-still-undeci...
