Indicator Survey: NU Residents Support Jokowi's Presidential Candidate

Screenshot of Founder & Main Researcher Indicator Burhanuddin Muhtadi when presenting the results of a survey in a zoom broadcast seen in Surabaya, Thursday (1/2/2024) (ANTARA/Screenshot)

SURABAYA - The results of the Indicator survey stated that Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) residents in East Java tend to support presidential and vice presidential candidates supported or President Joko Widodo's choice.

"NU is the main supporter of the pair of presidential and vice presidential candidates who are perceived as a pair that is more supported and will be chosen by President Joko Widodo, namely Prabowo Subianto Gibran Rakabuming Raka, especially from groups that are active as members of the NU organization," said Founder & Main Researcher Indicator Burhanuddin Muhtadi as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, February 1.

Burhanuddin explained that this was motivated by East Java residents who tended to be higher in giving appreciation to President Joko Widodo's performance.

At least in the past year (since December 2022), the level of satisfaction with President Joko Widodo's performance is always higher than the average national citizen.

"In the latest findings, more than 80 percent of East Java residents are quite upper, very satisfied with the performance of President Joko Widodo, in almost every demographic and regional segment. The level of satisfaction is rather low around the East Java-II and East Java-V regions, but on average it is still above 70 percent," he said.

In addition, East Java is an area with the largest concentration of NU residents. On average, about 52.4 percent of national Muslims feel they are part of the NU organization, and especially in East Java.

"On average, about 80.8 percent of East Java Muslims feel they are part of the NU organization," he said.

Likewise with its affiliates within the NU organization. Approximately 9-10 percent of national citizens are active members of the NU organization, 12-13 percent of members but inactive, or a total of about 24 percent are members of the NU organization, either active or inactive.

"And in East Java, the proportion of NU members is more than twice the national average, around 31 percent of active members, 26 percent of members are inactive, or a total of about 57 percent," said Burhanuddin.

In the survey, on the NU basis, satisfaction is mainly higher in groups that are increasingly active in the organization, therefore NU is the main force that maintains the credibility of President Joko Widodo in East Java.

However, the majority of residents tend to think that the views of figures related to presidential/vice presidential candidates are important, and although they do not follow their calls or recommendations to choose a specific partner, the group is more likely to follow the call/appropriation seems quite large, especially the recommendation from kiai/ulama figures.

"Therefore, in the future, if the main knots of NU residents in East Java can still be loyal to President Joko Widodo, then it is likely that Prabowo-Gibran will maintain his dominance," he said.

"But if these nodes cannot be maintained, it is likely that the base will shrink significantly, and so far what appears potential

"I withdrawing these incentives is the Anies-Muhaimin pair," he added.

Meanwhile, the bases of Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar also appear to be from more militant groups, more often persuading others, either directly or through social media.