The Pramono Anung-Rano Karno Jakarta gubernatorial candidate pair, backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), appears on course to sweep the Jakarta race in a single round, a new poll suggests, with the duo widening their lead over the rival Ridwan Kamil-Suswono ticket, backed by President Prabowo Subianto’s big-tent Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM).

A recent survey released by pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), taken between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9, found the Pramono-Rano pair had 46 percent of voter support, 6.9 percentage points ahead of the Ridwan-Suswono pair, which had 39.1 percent. 

The survey, which interviewed 1,200 Jakarta voters and had a 2.9 percent margin of error, attributed the Pramono-Rano lead to the popularity of actor-turned-politician Rano, who played the lead in the popular 1990s Betawi-centric soap opera Si Doel Anak Sekolahan.

The Betawi people are the native inhabitants of Greater Jakarta.

The survey found that 93 percent of Jakarta citizens were familiar with the former Banten governor, who has been leveraging the name Si Doel in the campaign. 

"Will [the upcoming Jakarta race go] a single round, where a candidate pair wins more than 50 percent? It’s a possibility. Seeing the developments of the past week, the closest to achieving that now is the Pramono-Rano pair," said SMRC executive director Deni Irvani.

Read also: As Ridwan’s polling figures slip, Prabowo signals support

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