Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Fri, May 25, 2012
Archive Search

KPU Wants to Get Better Grip on Indonesian Polling Agencies
Ezra Sihite | November 05, 2011

Share This Page
0
2
0
1
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Putrimawar
11:01am Nov 9, 2011

I agree that pollters must be regulated to ensure fair surveys and polls. Pollters should not be connected with anyone involved in the polling. Pollters must not have a double career as political consultant.

  • Previous
  • 1
  • Next

The recent spate of surveys with eyebrow-raising findings on everything from presidential candidates to the government’s performance has prompted official moves to tighten regulation of the industry.

Reydonnyzar Moenek, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry, said on Friday that provisions on surveys and polling institutes would be included in a draft of amendments to the Elections Law, which has already been submitted to the House of Representatives for deliberation.

“The KPU [General Elections Commission] will formulate the regulations, roles and a supervisory body for surveys and surveyors,” Reydonnyzar said. He added that surveyors would also have to report their methodology and sources of funding, as well as have to register with the KPU in order to carry out popularity polls ahead of elections.

Some pollsters have come under criticism for skewing pre-election polls in order to influence public opinion ahead of voting day. Critics contend that in such cases, the pollsters are commissioned by a candidate or their supporters to release doctored figures.

Arwani Thomafi, of the National Development Party (PPP), said he agreed on the importance of regulating pollsters as that would help weed out those trying to influence public opinion. “Many surveyors also double as political consultants to paying clients, so often they put out information is meant to steer public opinion rather than reflect it,” he said.

Reydonnyzar said “regulation is now needed” to address the controversy arising from the recent string of surveys on potential presidential candidates, all of which have named different people as the front-runners.

A poll by the Indonesian Voting Network (JSI) in October named former President Megawati Sukarnoputri as the favorite, while a Reform Institute survey in September favored Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie. Yet another gave retired general Prabowo Subianto the edge.