Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – A recent survey revealed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would be better off with a running mate that has a military background for the 2019 presidential election.
Pollster Indo Barometer found in its study released on Sunday that 22.5 percent of all the 1,200 respondents interviewed from Nov. 15 to 22 said they preferred Jokowi to run with someone who had a military background, compared to only 1.9 percent who said he should pick someone with a civilian background.
Moreover, 14.3 percent of the respondents said Jokowi, a member of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), should pick a person with adequate experience in government, with 12.3 percent saying he should choose a person "close to the people."
When asked who would be the best running mate for former military general Prabowo Subianto, chairman of the opposition Gerindra Party, 20.5 percent of respondents said he should run with someone with a civilian background, compared to only 0.9 percent who said his running mate should come from a military background.
Indo Barometer executive director Muhammad Qodari said while both Jokowi and Probowo had high electability ratings so far, choosing the right running mate could be a game changer for them.
"They should look for someone with a different background from them," Qadari said.
Several names of people with military backgrounds have been mentioned as Jokowi's potential candidates for vice president, including the current Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, who will retire next year, and former TNI chief Gen. Moeldoko, who is retired.