September 29, 2022
JAKARTA – Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found in its most recent public opinion poll, which targeted young voters, that an overwhelming majority of respondents rejected the proposal for an extension of the presidential term.
The survey revealed that 86.2 percent of the respondents wanted the two-term limit for the president maintained while 97.2 percent of them were also of the opinion that the direct election continued to be the best way to choose the next president and vice president.
For the latest survey, CSIS polled close to 1,200 young voters aged 17 to 39 – otherwise known as the Gen Z and millennial generations – from Aug. 8 to 13, and had a margin of error of 2.84 percent with a 95 percent confidence level.
Supporters of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo have floated the idea that the incumbent could extend his term beyond 2024 to allow him to make up for the lost time brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, Jokowi supporters have mulled another proposal to allow the President to run as vice president in the 2024 general election.
CSIS said in its recommendation that the findings showed younger voters had greater enthusiasm toward politics and that they were giving extra attention to both domestic and global issues like “environmental protection, democracy and corruption eradication.”
With regard to political candidates, the survey revealed that social media darlings and governors Ganjar Pranowo of Central Java and Anies Baswedan of Jakarta were young voters’ firm favorite presidential hopefuls – edging out Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in a three-horse race.
In the survey, CSIS projected that Ganjar would get 33.3 percent of the votes, Anies 27.5 percent and Prabowo 25.7 percent.