Prabowo-Hatta Electability Increasing: Akbar

Temanggung, C Java (Antara) - The Prabowo-Hatta presidential and vice presidential candidate duo's electability is increasing, according to a number of surveys, adviser of the pair's success team Akbar Tanjung said. "A number of surveys reveal the increasing approval of the Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa pair. The upward trend must be maintained," Akbar who is also chief patron of the Golkar Party (one of the political parties in the alliance that nominates Prabowo), said here on Saturday. With the increasing electability, the Prabowo-Hatta duo could win the upcoming July 9 presidential elections, he said. All supporters and volunteers, starting with their families in villages, sub-districts, districts and provinces, should cooperate to ensure the win of the Prabowo-Hatta duo, Akbar said. The victory of the presidential pair would be in the interests of the state and nation, he added. The electability of the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa duo outshone that of the Jokowi-JK pair, according to survey results furnished earlier by the Indonesian Polling and Survey Institute (SPIN). The National Survey Institute (LSN) also conducted a survey from June 1 to 8, 2014, while the SPIN carried out the opinion poll from June 1 to 4, 2014. The survey result by LSN shows Prabowo's electability rating at 46.3 percent over that of Jokowi-JK at 38.8 percent. The SPIN's survey shows the electability statistics of Prabowo's team at 44.9 percent over the Jokowi pair at 40.1 percent. Indonesia will organize a free and democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by only two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla. Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party, while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Jokowi is Jakarta's Governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla (JK), is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party. The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrats Party (Nasdem) established by Surya Paloh, who owns Metro TV and the Media Indonesia newspaper. The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Moon and Star Party (PBB), and the Golkar Party, whose current chairman is Aburizal Bakrie, the owner of TV One. (*) Edited by INE