Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his running mate Sylviana Murni remain the front runners in the election, but Agus' popularity has not increased in any significant way of late, a recent survey has shown.
The survey, which was conducted by Poltracking Indonesia from Jan. 9 to Jan. 13 and involved 800 respondents with a 3.46 percent margin of error, found that Agus and Sylviana Murni were favored by 30.25 percent of respondents.
"There is an increase in Agus' electability but it has slowed down. The reason is that the 'shock effect' that came with his candidacy has decreased," Poltracking Indonesia executive director Hanta Yuda said in a press conference at Oria Hotel on Thursday.
Hanta said Agus' electability increased by 2.33 percent from an earlier survey conducted by Poltracking in November.
The pair's rivals, incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno, trail with 28.88 percent and 28.63 percent, respectively.
He added that Ahok's electability had increased quite significantly by 6.88 percent from the November survey. Hanta said this was because Ahok's blasphemy case had become less significant over time in the minds of voters. (jun)