Indonesian polls pick Yudhoyono to win

Jakarta - Millions of people across the world's largest archipelago voted in Indonesia's first direct presidential election as frontrunner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned of possible violence if the contest goes to a second round.

"Three cheers for democracy," enthused a Jakarta post editorial as voters ranging from illiterate tribesmen in Papua province to Javanese rice farmers and Jakarta yuppies seized their historic opportunity.

Ex-general Yudhoyono was certain to top the ballot -- a survey last week gave him 43.5 percent support, more than his four rivals combined. But he needs more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff between the top two candidates on September 20.

"There will be two candidates facing each other, there will be a head-to-head competition, and surely this will be rough," the former security minister told reporters, surrounded by supporters who tried to kiss his hand.

"Supporters will face each other and there is the potential for confrontation. This is unavoidable. The key is for the candidates and the supporters to restrain themselves."

Yudhoyono, 54, also warned of possible cheating. "Politics is tough and cruel. Sometimes for power any means can be used," he said.

He has complained of a smear campaign spread by SMS messages in the world's most populous Muslim nation, which falsely alleges he is a Christian.

After three years in office, incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri is struggling to make it to the likely run-off.

The survey by the International Foundation for Election Systems gave another ex-general, Wiranto, 14.2 percent support and Megawati 11.7 percent.

National assembly speaker Amien Rais came fourth with 10.9 percent while current Vice President Hamzah Haz had just 2.4.

Polls opened at 7 am across Indonesia's three time zones and close at 1 pm. Voting in Jakarta was to end at 0600 GMT.

The easternmost province of Papua, a largely mountainous and jungle-clad region where voting materials are often delivered by air, was the first to vote at 2200 GMT Sunday.

Former army-backed strongman Suharto, who was rubber-stamped into office seven times by legislators during his 32-year rule, was an early voter near his Jalan Cendana home in the smart Jakarta suburb of Menteng.

The six-year transition to democracy since he stepped down in 1998 has been messy and intermittently violent.

Megawati, according to media reports Monday, broke down in tears as she taped a televised appeal Sunday for more than 153 million voters in the world's third largest democracy to accept the outcome regardless of the winner.

Megawati has disappointed the hopes of millions of "reformasi" (reform) supporters who voted her party top of the polls in a 1999 legislative election.

Voters pushed her party into second place in the April legislative poll in frustration over a relatively sluggish economy, rising prices, soaring unemployment and still pervasive corruption.

"I just hope for more prosperity, a leader that can bring prosperity for the people," said Muslim, a 21 year-old security guard who said he voted for Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono's astonishing rise in popularity has been the most marked feature of this election year.

Megawati, despite being a daughter of charismatic founding president Sukarno, appears aloof and uncommunicative.

Yudhoyono projects a soothing image of firmness, calmness and courtesy. In the public's perception, he is untainted by allegations of human rights abuses which dog the other ex-military candidate Wiranto.

Police are deploying 200,000 officers to safeguard the 575,000 polling stations. But the month-long campaign has been virtually free of violence despite US warnings of possible attacks by Al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.

Former US president Jimmy Carter is among almost 600 international poll monitors.

"This is a wonderful transition from authoritarian rule to purely democratic rule in just six years and the people of Indonesia are to be congratulated," he said after watching the start of voting at a Jakarta elementary school.

Official results are expected to trickle in over the next two weeks. Results of an unofficial "quick count", which proved accurate in the April election, were to be released late Monday or Tuesday. -- AFP News

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