Noticias

Jakarta. A new survey released on Wednesday has revealed that the ruling Democratic Party and the scandal-ridden Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) have topped the list of Indonesia’s least popular political parties in Indonesia.

The polling body, Charta Politika, said that when respondents were asked which party they were most averse to, 17.1 percent chose the Democratic Party, while 8.5 percent said the PKS. Coming in at third was the Golkar Party, which garnered 6.6 percent of the vote in the survey.

Jakarta. The electability of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo remains the highest among this year’s crop of presidential hopefuls with a new survey showing that he garners more than 37 percent of the support, leaving his contenders behind, but still shy of the 50 percent support needed to take the race in a single election.

A survey conducted by Charta Politika this month showed that Joko’s electability was as high as 37.4 percent, far exceeding Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) founder Prabowo Subianto, who enjoys 14.5 percent support.

Two leading labor unions – the Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Labor Union (KSBSI) and the Confederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI) –- on Thursday announced their full support for the presidential bid of Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“We, the two leading worker unions, declare our support to Jokowi as a president. Jokowi will be able to show his extraordinary performance to fight for workers rights in the future,” said KSPSI president Andi Ghani in a declaration event in Matraman, East Jakarta, on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko said he regretted the tardiness of a request for help in organizing the upcoming April 9 legislative election from the General Elections Commission (KPU).

“I offered the KPU my help last year but it barely responded. Now, with the election drawing near, just a week away, it finally requests back up. I will do it anyway but I must draw a firm line first so the TNI won’t be blamed should anything go wrong,” Moeldoko told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced an increasing number of damaged ballots, from the earlier amount of 1.5 million to the current 2.7 million.

“We have received reports of 2.7 million damaged ballots, approximately 0.37 percent out of the total number. It is widespread in 301 regencies and municipalities,” KPU commissioner Arief Budiman said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

He said the KPU would verify the number of reported damaged ballots before reprinting the ballots.

The Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) has an eye on six figures from outside the party that it is considering naming as its presidential- vice presidential candidates for the 2014 presidential election.

“The six figures being considered by the PPP are Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Jusuf Kalla, Din Syamsuddin, Jimly Asshiddiqie, Isran Noor and Khofifah Indar Parawansa,” said PPP secretary-general Romahurmuziy after a campaign rally in Jember, East Java, on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

An Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) campaign rally led by chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday afternoon nearly devolved into chaos after local party officials confronted a large group of motorists who had been attempting to disrupt the event.

During the event, held at Denggung Square, hundreds of spectators on wearing PDI-P gear showed obvious disinterest in what was happening on stage and got on their motorbikes and continuously revved their engines.

Candidates competing in the July 2014 presidential election will have an opportunity to explain to voters their positions on major human rights issues thanks to a new survey, an international non-governmental organization (INGO) has said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an INGO that conducts research and advocacy on human rights, said that it had distributed a questionnaire to likely presidential candidates on March 21, giving them nine questions on the country’s most pressing human rights concerns.

Cilacap, Central Java (ANTARA News) - The chief patron of Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, has said that he is optimistic about winning the presidential election on July 9.

"(I am) very optimistic," he told newsmen after attending a campaign rally at Krida Nusantara field in Cilacap, Central Java, on Tuesday.

The reason for the belief, he said, was the public support he had received.

He said that support for Gerindra Party had also increased. "God willing, I will get a mandate from the people (to be president)," he noted.