T

he two-horse presidential race (Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo vs. Prabowo Subianto) has begun. Both Jokowi and Prabowo should be aware of how people perceive them.

Perception is a very crucial psychological side in an election. Perception by definition is the process of giving meaning to external stimuli such as the physical appearance, characteristics, personality and communication style of a person.

Winning an election is all about how the candidates can put themselves positively in the mind of voters: The more positive they are being perceived by voters, the better chance they have of winning the election.

Due to that, Jokowi and Prabowo must be able to give their best effort to engender positive perception.

There are some elements that need to be taken into consideration by both candidates.

Jokowi must be able to show to the public that he, as president, could make a decision by himself without being '€œdirected'€ by Megawati Soekarnoputri '€” not being her puppet because this is what is going on in the minds of people about Jokowi. He must be able to show an independent personality. Being president requires a strong and firm personality.

Also, showing a leadership aura can be another big advantage for him.

For Prabowo, the issue of his involvement in the May 1998 violence is spreading in public conversation. That tragic series of events really left a deep scar in the Indonesian people, especially among the Chinese. People need a leader who can make the society more disciplined and well ordered.

People perceive that Prabowo has that kind of personality but they are still hesitant and reluctant. Why? People have a perception that Prabowo may become a dictator. Thus, if he wants to be perceived positively by voters, then he should clarify that he was not involved in the tragic riots.

Therefore, the more the two candidates learn about political psychology, the better their knowledge about how voters think and how perception influences behavior.

Ihshan Gumilar
Jakarta