SBY has good chance of winning 2009 presidential race

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has a good chance of winning the 2009 presidential race if he takes part in it, according to a poll conducted by a survey institute.

SBY`s chance to win is good because he has a clean reputation, is kind-hearted and problem-free, Mohammad Qadari, executive director of IndoBarometer Survey Institute, said here Friday.

"If SBY fails, the figure who has a chance to be elected is Megawati Soekarnoputri," he said.

According to a poll the institute conducted recently, SBY`s chance to win the presidential election was the greatest at 35 percent, followed by Megawati`s at 22 percent, Sultan Hamengkuwono X`s at 8 percent, Wiranto`s at 7 percent, Amien Rais`s at 5 percent, Gus Dur`s at 4 percent, Jusuf Kalla`s at 3 percent, Surya Paloh`s at 1 percent, Sutiyoso`s at 0.5 percent and Abu Rizal`s at 0.2 percent.

Megawati`s chance to win the election after SBY was good because she was already known by the public and still had charisma.

"If SBY is considered to have failed, people will look for an alternative figure and Megawati has a good chance of being that figure," Qodari said.

"Megawati is known to be calm, cool, and the degree of popular satifaction about her performance as president is not too bad," he said.

But if SBY was assessed successful and he took part in the 2009 election, he would "most probably" top the other figures on the strength of his personality, according to Qodari.

About the emergence of Sutiyoso as another presidential aspirant, Qudari said it was too early for Sutiyoso to compete as a presdential candidate as he might not even be able to meet the minimum requirements to become a candidate.

Even if there might be quarters who portrayed SBY as a "hesitant" leader and Sutiyoso as "resolute" leader in contrast, the comparison would not help Sutiyoso much.

"In the 3004 election there was Wiranto (another military figure) but he lost to SBY and Megawati," he said.

Also, if Sutiyoso became president, Indonesia`s elbow room in foreign affairs would be severely limited because of his suspected involvement in a number of cases including the July 27 affair.

Earlier,the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) also found that SBY`s chance to win the 2009 presidential race was 33 percent and Megawati Soekarnoputri`s 25 percent.

Mulai pasang kuda-kuda untuk 2009 ?? (preparing for general election ?)

Rupanya tidak sabar untuk menunggu tahun 2009, SBY dan JK sudah mulai melakukan psy war untuk merebut simpatik rakyat (public sympathize). JK melalui perannya untuk memperkuat bidang ekonomi, sejak lebaran kemarin melakukan berbagai kunjungan 'konsolidasi' ke daerah-daerah. Yach, sudah baang tentu, karena di daerah sudah ditunggu dengan team Golkar yang siap menunggu. Sedang SBY, minggu ini baru meluncurkan sebuah album lagu yang dinyanyikan artis-artis indonesia, seperti Keris Patih, Bimbo, dll. Wah, ramai dech pokoknya berikutnya.