Indonesia's presidential hopeful Ganjar Pranowo has pulled ahead in a recent poll
Indonesian presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo, representing the ruling party, has taken the lead in an opinion poll for the first time in the 2024 election season, edging ahead of his close rival, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
The survey, conducted from October 26 to 31 by Charta Politika, indicated that 36.8% of the 2,400 respondents supported Ganjar, while 34.7% backed Prabowo, with 24.3% in favor of Anies Baswedan, the former governor of Jakarta.
According to a report from Reuters, Prabowo, who is making his third bid for the presidency, has held a narrow lead over Ganjar in most polls over the past few months, with the two candidates running neck-and-neck for much of the year. Most of Charta Politika's surveys since 2021 have consistently placed Ganjar in the lead.
The poll also revealed some dissatisfaction regarding the role of outgoing President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in the presidential race, particularly the perception that he was involved in a controversial court ruling regarding eligibility requirements, which allowed his son to become Prabowo's running mate.
Jokowi, whose term is ending, has declined to comment on the Constitutional Court's decision. Approximately 40% of respondents believed that Jokowi had influenced the court's decision, while 23.3% disagreed, and 37% either did not respond or said they did not know.
Nearly half of the survey participants believed that Jokowi's 36-year-old son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, would be unsuitable for the vice presidency, and 59% expressed disagreement with political dynasties.
Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, will hold its elections on February 14, 2024. Jokowi is completing his second and final term as president and has not officially endorsed any candidate, although some political insiders believe he is quietly acting as a kingmaker to retain influence after leaving office.
Jokowi recently stated that he would not interfere in the race. Some political experts view the inclusion of Gibran as a move to allow the outgoing president to maintain some political influence while enabling Prabowo to tap into Jokowi's large support base.
However, Charta Politika's executive director, Yunarto Wijaya, believes that Prabowo's choice to run with the president's son has contributed to Ganjar's lead in the latest poll.
