Yeremia Sukoyo – Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo would likely be able to increase the electability of any political party, even those with only a slight chance of meeting the parliamentary threshold, a new survey has found.

Surveys conducted by Cyrus Network showed that Joko could make any party become a winner in the upcoming general election.

"Jokowi could even make the Crescent Star Party [PBB], the National Democrat Party [NasDem], and even the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party [PKPI] become the winner in the legislative election if he joined one of them," Cyrus Network research director Eko Dafid Afianto said on Sunday.

Eko said Joko could potentially lift those parties' electability to the highest level of more than 40 percent and lift the electability of his own party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to 60 percent. The potential level could be achieved provided that the party made it clear that it was the only one that supported Joko as a presidential candidate.

The survey said Joko could boost the electability of Golkar Party to the highest potential level of 53 percent and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) to 48 percent. "This proves that Jokowi is a presidential candidate [considered as] a 'demigod,'?" Eko said.

Cyrus Network conducted the survey in two stages. The first stage was held between Aug. 21-27 and the second between Sept. 13-17. The surveys concluded that Joko did not have to worry about his party because he could easily move to another and help the new party win the 2014 general election.

A different survey by Indo Barometer found that many young voters, aged between 17 and 30 years, wanted Joko to become Indonesia's next president. "Joko Widodo garnered the highest support of 39.2 percent," Indo Barometer executive director M. Qodari said in a discussion last Wednesday.

Qodari said the question asked of respondents was: "If the general election was held today, which of these 13 names would you vote for as the president?" He said the number of people who chose Joko as president far exceeded those who chose other candidates who currently hold high positions in their respective political parties.

Gerindra's founder and chief patron Prabowo Subianto gained the second-highest support with 12.8 percent of respondents choosing him, followed by Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie (12.1 percent), PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri (8.7 percent), People's Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Wiranto (5.9 percent), National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar (0.8 percent), National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Hatta Rajasa (0.4 percent), PBB's chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra (0.3 percent), and NasDem's chairman Surya Paloh (0.3 percent).

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Anis Matta only gained 0.3 percent support, Democratic Party advisor Pramono Edhie Wibowo (0.2 percent), United Development Party chairman Suryadharma Ali (0.1 percent), and PKPI chairman Sutiyoso received none.

Qodari said 14.2 percent of the 1,200 respondents had yet to decide who to vote for, 1.8 percent refused to say, 0.2 percent said they would not vote, and 2.9 percent did not know who to vote for or did not answer. The survey was conducted between Nov. 12-23.

Qodari said Joko's high electability was due to his closeness to the people. "The reasons young voters choose a presidential candidate is because of his or her attention or closeness to the people (30.5 percent), firmness (18.4 percent), and for his stance against practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism (8 percent)," Qodari said.