Jakarta. Ganjar Pranowo is the most likely candidate to continue with the development programs initiated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when compared to his rivals, according to a new survey.

Jokowi has indicated his support for Ganjar on several occasions and he was in attendance when the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI-P, confirmed the Central Java governor as the presidential nominee last month.

Ganjar further cemented his reputation as the strongest keeper of Jokowi’s legacy in a survey by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) in which 44.5 percent of respondents believe he is most likely to continue the policies and development programs of the current administration.

On a similar question, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto received 25 percent, followed by former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan at 18.8 percent and Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto at 1 percent.

When the question was altered to “which candidate is most likely to depart from or discontinue Jokowi’s programs”, Anies received 30.3 percent, as opposed to19.6 percent for Prabowo, 18.2 percent for Airlangga, and 7.9 percent for Ganjar.

SMRC Research Director Deni Irvani said the public perception will determine their pick for the 2024 presidential election.

“Those who are satisfied with President Jokowi’s performance tend to vote for Ganjar because he is seen as the most likely candidate to continue Jokowi’s legacy. By contrast, voters with growing dissatisfaction with the Jokowi government will prefer Anies as a successor because they believe he will undo the current government’s programs,” Deni said.

By this logic, Ganjar could become the clear frontrunner next year because the same survey indicates that 81.7 percent of respondents are very satisfied or moderately satisfied with the president’s job performance.

From this group of respondents, 43 percent said they will vote for Ganjar, 30 percent for Prabowo, 15 percent for Anies, and 2 percent for Airlangga, while the remaining 10 percent are undecided.

Of respondents who disapproved of Jokowi’s performance, 39 percent will vote for Anies, 35 percent for Prabowo, 16 percent for Ganjar, and 3 percent for Airlangga.

“Ganjar has the competitive edge if the presidential election is held today,” Deni said.

The survey was conducted from April 30 – May 7 involving 1,220 voting-age respondents across the country. SMRC said the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.