Ahok Expresses Disappointment with Plummeting Electability

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Incumbent Jakarta Governor candidate Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama could not hide his disappointment with his plummeting electability ahead of the upcoming election.

Based on a latest survey conducted by Poltracking Indonesia, Ahok is the second most popular candidate with 22 percent of supports. Ahok said that the falling electability was caused by an allegation of religious blasphemy, as he cited the surah Al-Maidah verse 51 of the Quran in September 2016. Ahok predicted that 62 percent of Jakarta residents now believe that he had committed a blasphemy.

"They believe that I insulted [Islam]," Ahok said before his supporters at his campaign headquarter Rumah Lembang in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, November 30, 2016.

Based on the survey, 29.92 percent of 1,200 respondents involved choose Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni. Meanwhile, Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat gain 22 percent of supporters. As many as 20.42 percent of the respondents prefer Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno to lead the Capital. Furthermore, 29.66 percent of respondents said that they are still undecided.

Despite the plummeting electability, Ahok remains the most popular among the Jakarta Gubernatorial candidates.

The survey was conducted from November 7-17, 2016, when Ahok had negative coverage in the media. The survey also showed that media has significant impact on preferences.

Ahok asserted that he did not intend to insult Muslims. Therefore, Ahok called on public to watch the full video footage of his speech.

"Based on the video, the situation there is apparent. I didn't have ill intention," Ahok said. "What I meant is that there were bad politicians who use religion [to achieve their goals]."

LARISSA HUDA | JOBPIE S.