In Military We Trust? Strongman Nostalgia Runs Strong Among Indonesian Voters
A man passes a vender selling shirts featuring former Indonesian president Gen. Suharto in Solo, Central Java, on June 6, 2013. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)
Jakarta. Indonesian voters still prefer a presidential or vice presidential candidate with a military background over a civilian, a recent poll concluded.
The National Survey Institute, or LSN, announced on Wednesday that three out of every five respondents in a recent poll said they preferred a candidate who had military experience.
"We asked the respondents whether they preferred a candidate with a civilian background or a military background, and 60 percent of them said they would vote for the one with a military background," Umar S. Bakry, the LSN executive director, said in Jakarta.
He said the poll highlighted the positive leadership qualities associated by most Indonesians with military figures, including decisiveness, discipline and firmness.
Among the current batch of potential presidential or vice presidential candidates with a military background is Prabowo Subianto, the former commander of the Army Special Forces, or Kopassus, who is the chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and one of the frontrunners for the July 9 poll.
Another is Wiranto, the chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the last commander-in-chief of the armed forces under the late dictator Suharto.
Suharto himself was an Army general when he came to power in 1967.
The current president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was also an Army general, and the likely candidate from his Democratic Party is the former Army chief of staff, Pramono Edhie Wibowo. Pramono is also Yudhoyono's brother-in-law.
Another former military commander vying for the Democrat ticket is Endriartono Sutarto.
The Indonesian polster Pol-Tracking Institute said that for many Indonesian voters, the ideal presidential ticket would feature a candidate with a military background running alongside one with a civilian background.
The presence of a military leader would provide the stability needed for the civilian leader to effect policy changes for the good of the country, said Agung Baskoro, a researcher with the Pol-Tracking Institute.
"Military candidates have a long track record in managing the nation's defense and security, which is why they are worth considering," Agung said. "In terms of decisiveness, there is no doubting [them]. That is what the public is waiting for at the moment."
One political analyst at University of Indonesia agreed that a military-civilian ticket was widely seen as the best combination for the country.
"It's like an unwritten law," said Ari Junaedi, a UI political analyst. "Many people still believe that this kind of pairing would be good for Indonesia's political stability."
The Golkar Party, which is backing its chairman and business tycoon Aburizal Bakrie for the presidency, has indicated that it may pick a running mate with a military background.
One of the party's secretary generals, Tantowi Yahya, told the Indonesian news portal Tribunnews.com that many in the party wanted to see Aburizal run with "a military icon."
He added the party was "monitoring the many potential military icons in Indonesia's current political scene ahead of the elections."
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