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Anies-Ahok vs. Jokowi: A battle for Jakarta governorship
A survey has found that voter preferences in Jakarta are tied to political patrons like President Prabowo Subianto, former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and former governor Anies Baswedan.
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Jakarta gubernatorial candidates Ridwan Kamil (fifth left) and his running mate Suswono (fourth left); Dharma Ponrekun (fifth right) and running mate Kun Wardana (fourth right); and Pramono Anung (third right) and running mate Rano Karno (second right), pose with officials from the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) during the peaceful campaign declaration for the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election at the Jakarta History Museum in Kota Tua in West Jakarta, on Sept. 24. (Antara/Herjoko Bald)
A
show of force has characterized the rivalry between the top two contenders for the Jakarta governorship as the decision day looms. Over two consecutive weeks, former governor Anies Baswedan has emerged to rally support for the Pramono Anung–Rano Karno ticket, culminating in a mass gathering at Blok S Field in South Jakarta on Thursday last week.
On the other side, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo declared his backing of candidate pair of Ridwan Kamil–Suswono, who represent the expanded Indonesia Onward Coalition that supports the government of President Prabowo Subianto.
Jokowi’s move could be seen as an attempt to counter the rising electability of Pramono and his running mate Rano, colloquially known as Mas Pram and Bang Doel respectively. Pramono and Rano have now taken the lead in several electability surveys, albeit by a small margin over Ridwan-Suswono.
Throughout the two-week campaign blitz, Ridwan, or Kang Emil, campaigned tirelessly alongside Jokowi, with his running mate Suswono notably absent. Jokowi’s support for Ridwan has been evident since a private dinner at the former president’s residence in Surakarta, Jokowi’s hometown, last October.
Needless to say, the influence of both Jokowi and Anies plays a critical role for the respective tickets.
A survey conducted by Litbang Kompas, the research arm of Kompas daily, from Oct. 20–27, found that voter preferences were tied to political patrons. About 49.7 percent of voters are inclined toward candidates associated with President Prabowo, while 46.6 percent align with Jokowi’s choices. Meanwhile, 44.2 percent support candidates connected to Anies, and 39.9 percent lean toward those affiliated with former governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.
On paper, as shown by the survey results, candidates endorsed by Prabowo and Jokowi appear to have the upper hand. But elections, as we know, are not fought on paper.
