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Nov. 4 demo will not sway Ahok supporters: Experts
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Stay firm – Incumbent candidate pair Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama (center) and Djarot Saiful Hidayat arrive at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Oct. 25 to pick their ballot number for the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
T
he recent protest held by several Islamic organizations against inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama may only affect undecided voters for next year’s Jakarta gubernatorial election, as most supporters of the incumbent candidate and his running mate, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, seem to have already made up their minds, political experts have said.
Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) political researcher Arya Fernandes said the Nov. 4 rally, which involved around 100,000 sympathizers of Islamic organizations, might only affect the incumbent's electability in the eyes of undecided voters.
“I think their loyal supporters will remain firm with their support. To maintain popularity, the incumbent candidate pair can start to approach prominent Muslim figures, for instance,” Arya said on Monday.
Most recent election surveys still show the Ahok-Djarot pair with a lead in the race thanks to their loyal supporters.
Still, Arya said they needed to anticipate the potential of Friday's rally to influence voters’ preferences, particularly the undecided ones.
“With clear, detailed and measurable programs, other candidates can take advantage of the rally to grab the undecided voters.”
Lingkar Madani political analyst Ray Rangkuti said the Ahok-Djarot pair had secured support from loyal supporters. However, lower and middle class voters were still mostly undecided and the rally could affect their preference.
On Friday, Jakarta saw a massive rally demanding criminal prosecution of Ahok over alleged blasphemy when he cited a Quranic verse during a work visit in Thousand Islands regency on Sept. 27. The National Police have pledged they will carry out the investigation transparently, including by live broadcasting the case’s public expose. (fac/ebf)
