Indonesian presidential candidates face fateful day

The eight-month process of Indonesian election culminated on Monday, when over 153 million ofvoters were expected to cast ballots for either of two presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri or Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the country's first ever direct presidential elections.

Parties began to register at the General Election Commission (KPU) in February, followed by the legislative election on April 5.Only parties winning above 3 percent of popular votes can nominatetheir presidential hopefuls.

The presidential elections were held on July 5 with five contesting candidates, but since none of them won an outright majority, two front-runners Megawati and her former Security Minister Yudhoyono must battle in the Monday's runoff.

Yudhoyono was the foremost frontrunner in the July 5 election and recent opinion polls indicated that he would claim a landslidevictory over Megawati.

"I predict myself to win above 60 percent of the votes in today's election," Yudhoyono told reporters after casting ballot at a polling station near his residence in Bogor, some 20 km south of Jakarta.

He cited reports from his campaign team suggesting that supporters of Amien Rais and Wiranto, who were relegated in the July 5 election, would shift their votes to him.

Separately in South Jakarta, incumbent President Megawati was spending time with several party leaders at her residence awaitingquick-count-based result that will be announced by some pollsters later in the day.

The official tally result from the KPU is expected to come in the next two weeks.

"I'm not nervous at all. But I cannot make any comment until weget the 'quick-count' result," Megawati said.

For the first time in history, Indonesia will have a president who is directly chosen by voters. In previous elections, the president was selected by voting among People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) members who acted as an electoral college.

"For the first time since we declared independence in 1945, thepeople of this country have the opportunity to decide directly whowill lead us for the next five years," English daily The Jakarta Post said Monday.

"If we believe the fate of the country depends to a large extent on its leaders, then this is an unprecedented opportunity for us to determine our own destiny, or at the very least, the direction in which the country will head," it said.

The country's most influential newspaper Kompas said in its editorial that the election is a rare opportunity that comes once in five years for Indonesians to decide the future of "the resource-rich but poor country."

"We need wise and effective leaders who can lead the whole nation to undergo transformation... It is a shame to see poverty flourishing in this fertile land. Today is an opportunity for the citizens who hold sovereignty to, for the first time in history, choose directly the pair of president and vice president," it said.

The direct presidential election is the second major political experiment in Indonesia after a direct legislative election was held on April 5.

During the 32-year Soeharto era, parliament members were chosenby their respective parties and functioned merely as a rubber stamp of the government.

The Monday's election went peacefully across the country despite earlier warnings of terror attacks. Police have warned that terror fugitives might launch attacks, and Megawati, speakingafter the Sept. 9 bombing outside the Australian embassy, announced a full alert status in the country during the election.

On the election eve, Megawati reiterated that it is more important for her, as a president, to see the election going peacefully.

In contrast to the growing confidence at Yudhoyono's camp, Megawati said, "Whoever gains the people's trust as president and vice president in the current election are the country's legitimate leaders, who must receive our sincere support and acceptance."

Monday's election also constitutes a crucial test of political stability in the world's most populous Muslim nation, where three major bombings have been carried out by militants over the past three years, with a combined toll of 223 deaths.

A peace and smooth election is another thing Indonesians can beproud of, in addition to the most democratic election they alreadyheld.

Source: Xinhua