Ahok remains frontrunner despite suspect status

JAKARTA. Although Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has been named a suspect in a case of alleged blasphemy, which some believe has tainted his popularity, his campaign team claimed on Wednesday that the incumbent governor remained the frontrunner in next year’s Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Campaign team spokesman Raja Juli Antoni admitted Ahok's status as a suspect in the case had slightly affected the governor's electability, but it had not yet overturned his position as the frontrunner.

“We have our own unpublished internal survey. The case slightly affected Ahok's electability rating but he remains on top," Raja told The Jakarta Post at the incumbent candidate’s campaign team headquarters Rumah Lembang in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Raja refused to reveal the percentage of Ahok's potential voters compared to other candidates, saying that the survey was only used for campaign purposes.

Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, was accused of blasphemy after video footage of a speech in which he mentioned a verse in the Quran went viral last month. The National Police named him a suspect on Nov. 16.

A survey released last Friday by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) showed that Ahok's electability rating today only reached 10.6 percent, a significant decrease from the 59 percent recorded by the LSI in March.

LSI researcher Adjie Alfaraby previously said the sectarian issue had, to some extent, contributed to Ahok's rating.

"It is true that his electability decreased but not to the point [shown in the LSI] survey," Radja said. (Safrin La Batu)