Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo’s electability has ticked up slightly amid speculation that the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri will make her final decision on the party’s 2024 presidential candidate during the party’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations. 

A survey by Indikator Politik released on Wednesday showed that Ganjar had maintained his front-runner status and seen his electability rise to 32.8 percent in December, up from 30.8 percent in the previous month, while House Speaker Puan Maharani, his rival for the party nomination, remained at the bottom rank in the same month with 1.9 percent.

Ganjar’s rising electability coincided with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s improvement in his approval rating in the same month to 71.3 percent, his highest since August, bolstered by the public’s positive perception of Indonesia’s hosting of the Group of 20 Summit.

"Ganjar's electability is framed by Jokowi's approval rating. It's easy to explain this, as they are both from the PDI-P, Ganjar is probably considered a ‘mini’ Jokowi," pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia executive director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 1-6 last year with 1,220 respondents, showed that under a top-three potential candidates simulation, Ganjar enjoyed a 7.5 lead over former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, who has overtaken Defense Minister and Gerindra Party leader Prabowo Subianto to second place since November.

In contrast to Ganjar, Anies, perceived by many as the figurehead of the opposition, experienced a decline in his electability in December. While a November survey pegged him within striking distance of Ganjar with a 32.2 percent rating, the latest survey had him at 28.3 percent, just ahead of Gerindra’s Prabowo at 26.7 percent. 

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