Hatta says his ticket more popular than Jokowi-JK

JAKARTA. Vice presidential candidate Hatta Rajasa said at a campaign event on Saturday that he and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto had surpassed Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Jusuf Kalla in popularity, refuting nearly all recent polling data.

“I also have a survey that says Prabowo-Hatta has already surpassed [Jokowi-Kalla]. Many others said our margins are 2 or 3 percent, or maybe 7, but we reached 20 percent two months ago. It means our electability has increased,” Hatta said during a campaign stop in Bekasi, West Java, as quoted by kompas.com.

Hatta guaranteed his ticket's popularity would continue to increase in the next 30 days before the July 9 presidential election.

“Thirty days is very long, because in politics, we can change the world in only a day,” he said.

 During his campaign stop, Hatta visited Tambun Market to talk with local vendors about price increases in staple foods ahead of Ramadhan, which will begin on June 29.

Hatta pledged that if elected he and Prabowo would implement an economic system based on improving welfare.

“I am used to making blusukan [impromptu visit] to traditional markets when I was the coordinating economic minister. That’s why I have suggested the government impose price controls,” he said.

Afterwards, Hatta met leaders and clerics of Yaping Islamic Boarding School in Bekasi, and then visited the Cibitung Wholesale Market. (gda)