Aziz Tunny, Ambon, Maluku – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri said Friday she was not phased by a number of surveys which predict a rematch between her and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the presidential election run-off later this year.
Megawati, speaking prior to hosting a function with community and religious leaders in Ambon, said the survey results did not reflect the real aspirations of the public and would change over the coming months.
"I respect the surveys conducted by a number of pollsters. But they cannot serve as the truth for which candidates will win the election," Megawati said.
The latest survey conducted by the Institute for Economic and Social Information, Education and Studies (LP3ES) saw Yudhoyono win the most support overall, though respondents in eastern Indonesia rallied behind Megawati.
Megawati said candidates could benefit from the surveys by using them as motivation to win wider public support.
"A survey could conclude that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will win the election, but that does not absolutely guarantee he will," said Megawati, who is searching for a running mate.
The PDI-P is optimistic of winning both the legislative and presidential elections following the results of regional elections in the past three years. The party won 10 gubernatorial posts, including in Maluku, the highest among major political parties contesting the legislative elections.
Megawati, then the incumbent, lost to Yudhoyono by 20 percent of the vote in the 2004 presidential election. A number of survey institutes had predicted Yudhoyono would win in a landslide victory.
The same pollsters revealed in their most recent surveys that Yudhoyono's Democratic Party topped the list with the PDI-P in second place. In the previous surveys Megawati's party had always topped the standings, mostly because of the Yudhoyono administration's decision to significantly raise fuel prices. Last December, however, the government lowered the prices twice.
In a Christmas and New Year's celebration on Thursday night, Megawati promised to uphold pluralism and maintain peace if she was re-elected. "Without peace and mutual respect our Indonesian nation cannot achieve welfare," Megawati told party supporters.
She expressed relief Maluku had quickly regained peace after sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians raged from 1999 until 2001. Under the Megawati administration, then coordinating minister for people's welfare Jusuf Kalla mediated a peace agreement in Maluku and the Central Sulawesi town of Poso.
The Ambon event was part of Megawati's campaign trail to woo public support for herself and the PDI-P ahead of the legislative elections in April and presidential election in July. She visited the Sulawesi capital of Makassar, the West Papua capital of Manokwari and the Papua town of Mimika.