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Sulawesi tough battleground for Jokowi, Prabowo
Neither presidential ticket seems to have the upper hand in Sulawesi.
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High hopes: Incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo addresses his supporters during an open campaign event at Kalegowa Field in Gowa, South Sulawesi, recently. (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
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ulawesi may serve as a tough battleground for presidential candidates competing in the April 17 race, as neither ticket seems to have the upper hand in the entire island.
Incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo won almost all six provinces across the island in the 2014 election, mainly thanks to then-running mate Jusuf Kalla, a native of South Sulawesi and an influential figure in the region. The Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa pair won only in Gorontalo in 2014, securing 63.1 percent of votes, while Jokowi-Kalla won 36.9 percent.
The latter pair led by a narrow margin in three Sulawesi provinces and won more than 70 percent of votes in West Sulawesi and South Sulawesi.
Kalla’s supposed influence, however, is losing significance for Jokowi, who is running with Muslim cleric Ma’ruf Amin this time around. Kalla has served as vice president twice, his first term serving with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from 2004 to 2009, which means he cannot run for a third term.
Political experts have suggested that Sulawesi will be a tougher battleground, especially for Jokowi, compared to 2014. A recent survey conducted by Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that the Jokowi-Ma’ruf ticket would lead with 47.9 percent of the vote, while the Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno pair had 37.9 percent if the election was held today. However, the number of undecided and swing voters remains high, at 14.3 percent.
“Sulawesi will pose a tough challenge for both candidates, given the high number of undecided and swing voters,” CSIS political researcher Arya Fernandes said recently.
Jakarta-based Voxpol Center Research and Consulting executive director Pangi Syarwi was even more confident that there was a chance Jokowi would lose altogether.
