Alex Noerdin likely to win South Sumatra election

By Khairul Saleh
Source : The Jakarta Post

Golkar Party-nominated South Sumatra gubernatorial candidate Alex Noerdin and his running mate Eddy Yusuf, popularly known as ALDY, look likely to win the first ever direct gubernatorial election in the province.

Noted survey institutes the Indonesian Survey Circle and Public Issue Network (LSI-JIP) and the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) conducted quick count polls immediately after the election on Thursday, revealing ALDY had a slight lead over rivals Syahrial Oesman and Helmy Yahya, known as SOHE.

The LSI-JIP and the LSI said ALDY won the election with 51.22 percent and 51.20 percent of votes respectively, with SOHE taking in 48.78 percent and 48.80 percent of votes respectively.

"It's a very tight race. This never happened in earlier counts," Setia Dharma of the LSI-JIP said, adding voter turnout was 73.85 percent.

More than 5 million eligible voters cast their ballots at 14,500 polling stations in 3,000 subdistricts across the province.

The LSI-JIP conducted its survey in 400 polling stations in 15 regencies and municipalities, while the LSI carried out its survey in 500 polling stations.

Setia said SOHE's narrow defeat was probably due to the candidates's absence in a second round of public debates held before the election.

A widely circulated photo showing Syahrial, the province's incumbent governor, gambling in the Genting Highlands resort in Malaysia, was also believed to have affected SOHE's chances at the ballot box, Setia added.

The LSI-JIP survey showed ALDY winning in several regencies, including Musi Banyuasin (where Alex served as regent), Banyuasin, Empat Lawang, Lahat, Pagaralam, Muaraenim and Prabumulih.

SOHE was victorious in the regencies of Lubuklinggau, Musi Rawas, Ogan Ilir, Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Komering Ulu, Ogan Komering Ulu Timur, Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan and Palembang.

However, the Policy and Strategic Development Research Center (Puskaptis), an early SOHE campaign adviser, said its quick count showed SOHE leading by 51.11 percent.

Using the same multistage random sampling and a margin of error of between 1 and 2 percent, the true winner of the election will likely be decided in a manual count, which would be conducted the South Sumatra General Election Commission (KPUD). The commission will announce the winner on September 14.

If ALDY wins the election, it would be the Golkar Party's first gubernatorial election victory, following defeats for the party's candidates in West Java, Central Java, East Java, Lampung, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi and Bali.

ALDY, also backed by the National Mandate Party and the Democratic Party, promised free education and healthcare programs during their campaign.

"Thank you to the people who supported us. I will fulfill all my promises," Alex said in response to the quick count results.