T

he popularity and electoral success of Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini, also known as Risma, has created a ripple effect, with more female politicians gaining traction ahead of a planned mayoral election this year.

A survey conducted by the National Awakening Party (PKB) from November 2014 to February 2015, showed the top three electability ratings were all from female candidates. They were Risma, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Indah Kurnia and PKB lawmaker Arzeti Bilbina.

According to the survey by the PKB, the largest faction in the City Council, the electability rates of the women far surpassed those of other popular names, such as City Council deputy speaker Masduki Toha, former Surabaya councilor from the PKB, Gus Naim, and former education minister and Surabaya Institute of Technology rector Muhammad Nuh.

Surabaya'€™s Airlangga University political science lecturer Ucu Martono told The Jakarta Post that the parties had introduced female candidates to compete against Risma and were riding on the mayor'€™s wave of popularity. '€œRisma'€™s identity as a woman who has successfully lead Surabaya has been taken advantage of by other political parties, which have introduce female candidates to contest the Surabaya mayoral election,'€ said Ucu on Friday.

He added that the parties were testing the waters to see whether female candidates could mount a serious challenge to Risma. Earlier, PKB East Java regional executive board secretary Thoriqul Haq said the PKB would nominate Risma as its mayoral candidate, but would convey its decision at the end of March.

Risma'€™s huge popularity is also acknowledged by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Its internal survey indicated that Risma'€™s electability had reached 70 percent, far outshining Muhammad Nuh and current Surabaya Deputy Mayor Wisnu Sakti Buana.

'€œEveryone agrees that Bu Risma is hard to challenge,'€ said PKS Surabaya regional executive board head Ibnu Shobir recently.

He acknowledged that his board was making an effort to approach Risma to run for the PKS in the 2015 election.

The Gerindra Party and the Hanura Party are also ready to nominate their own female candidates.

Gerindra plans to nominate its own politician Mary Susilo, while Hanura will nominate its politician Reny Widya Lestari.

East Java Gerindra regional executive board deputy head Abdul Halim said the party was waiting for the technical guidelines of the mayoral election, which would be held simultaneously in 18 regencies and cities in East Java, to be released.

Ucu deemed that with Risma'€™s high electability, she could run as an independent candidate.

'€œOur society is facing a crisis of leadership. The public is tired of the elite and the distance shown by many leaders in the country to the people, so when people like Risma, [President Joko] Jokowi [Widodo], [Bandung Mayor] Ridwan Kamil and [Central Java Governor] Ganjar Pranowo emerge, they immediately [connect],'€ said Ucu.

Surabaya General Elections Commission (KPU) head Robiyan Arifin said the mayoral election, scheduled for December this year, could certainly involve independent candidates due to the presence of a legal umbrella, specifically a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) passed by the House of Representatives.