Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla are the strongest candidates of the next Indonesian president and vice president, a survey showed Friday.

According to a survey by Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated, Yudhoyono was chosen by 43.56 percent of 5,000 respondents in 19 cities of 14 counties to be the next Indonesian president, incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri got 20.52 percent, Amien Rais got11.78 percent, Akbar Tandjung got 7.5 percent and Wiranto got 5.28percent.

"They are the five figures who are the most popular for people and the people wish one of them will be the first person in the country," Sukardi Rinakit, who is responsible for the survey, was quoted by Kompas online news service as saying.

For the post of vice president, Jusuf Kalla was chosen by 20.78percent respondents, followed by Hidayat Nur Wahid with 15.78 percent, Yudhoyono with 12.58 percent, Amien Rais with 8.70 percent and Wiranto with 6.24 percent.

Another survey conducted earlier this week also placed Yudhoyono as the most preferred president candidate. According to a survey by London-based market information group Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), 28 percent of 1,016 voters in 18 provinces wanted Yudhoyono to lead the country in the next five years.

Yudhoyono, who resigned from the top security minister post in the Megawati cabinet ahead of the April 5 parliamentary polls, made a huge splash in the country's political life when his newly established Democratic Party joined the top five of the provisional vote tally.

Source: Xinhua