Megawati has to work hard to win election: survey

Indonesian President Megawati Soekaroputri and her running mate Hasyim Muzadi have to work hard to win the second round of the presidential race on Sept. 20 by convincing the people on the success of her government economic program, according to a survey result which was made public on Tuesday.

The survey was conducted by the Institute for Economic and Social Research, Education and Information on July 5, shortly after people cast their vote on the first round of the presidential race in all of 32 provinces across the country.

"Megawati, Hasyim seem have to work hard to convince communities over the success of her government economic program now to snatch more votes," head of the institute's Research Division Muhammad Husain told a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that those who support the pair in the first round of the election were because of considering better off current economy under the Megawati's government, but those who support four other presidential candidates saw that the economy was worse off.

He said that although the pair of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Yusuf Kalla had been predicted to win the second round of the election by obtaining some 10 million additional votes from the supporters of the three other presidential candidates whom failed to enter the second round of the election, the pair of Megawati and running mate still have a chance.

"This situation is still possible to change, as more than a half of supporters of the three presidential candidates, have not determined their choice," Husain said.

He said that Megawati and her running mate, who were predicted to obtain only some three million of votes from the three failed candidates, had to maximize using the rest of time before Sept. 20.

Meanwhile, according to another survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute which was also made public Tuesday, Susilo has a chance to win the second round of the election.

Source: Xinhua