Thursday, July 17, 2008
Megawati Pleased About Results of Recent Public Opinion Surveys
Source: Antara News

Jakarta - Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri said she was pleased to learn that a number of public opinion surveys had rated her popularity on top of those of other national figures, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"As PDIP's leader, I will have to maintain the momentum and also see to it that the party continues to improve its post-2004 election performance and to work maximally," she told reporters during a flight from Solo to Jakarta on Wednesday.

She said so far she had been following the results of polls conducted by the CSIS the most recent of which showed her popularity rating to be the highest among a number of likely presidential hopefuls. She collected 22 percent of respondents' votes with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono following in second place with 14 percent and Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono X in third place with 8 percent.

Asked who her running mate would be in the 2009 presidential election, Megawati smilingly said "That's something still in our mind and cannot yet be revealed now."

Meanwhile, PDIP Secretary General Pramono Anung who had accompanied Megawati during a three-day tour of East Java to support PDIP's candidate in the province's gubernatorial election, said the party was facing the 2009 general elections with increasing optimism.

"Our ptesidential election strategy team is now analyzing the results of various public opinion surveys and devising a strategy to prevent the party's political machine from getting over-exhausted," he said.

The PDIP would conduct two internal surveys after three external surveys to select Megawati's running mate.

"Of course, the choice will be on someone who can bring in more votes for our party leader, is a national figure, and he or she will be picked without considering whether the person is a Javanese or non-Javanese," Anung said.