Ganjar Pranowo lost the top spot as Indonesia’s most popular presidential hopeful after his comments against Israeli participation in the Under 20 FIFA World Cup were blamed for the removal of the country’s hosting rights, a survey showed.
(Bloomberg) — Ganjar Pranowo lost the top spot as Indonesia’s most popular presidential hopeful after his comments against Israeli participation in the Under 20 FIFA World Cup were blamed for the removal of the country’s hosting rights, a survey showed.
Support for the 54-year-old Central Java Governor dropped to 26.9% in the latest poll by Lembaga Survei Indonesia, his lowest score since it began collecting data in July last year. Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto became the most popular at 30.3%. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who has already secured a ticket to run in the 2024 elections, remained in third place.
The survey marks a blow to Ganjar, widely seen as President Joko Widodo’s favored candidate that would continue his policies, including the $34 billion relocation of Indonesia’s capital city. Support for PDI-P, Jokowi’s and Ganjar’s party, also took a hit, sinking to an all-time low of 17.7%, even if it remains the most popular party.
Earlier in March, Ganjar and Bali Governor I Wayan Koster declared their refusal to host the Israeli teams for the U20 championship, saying it clashed with Indonesia’s pro-Palestine stance. Shortly after, FIFA removed Indonesia’s hosting rights for the U20 World Cup, causing widespread dismay among fans and players in the soccer-loving country. The cancelation is costing the country 3.7 trillion rupiah ($248.2 million), including venue renovation costs and foregone tourism.
The survey was done from March 31 to April 4, involving 1,229 respondents spread across the country, with a margin of error of about 2.9% with 95% confidence.
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