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| Sunday, 11 July 2004 |
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Indonesia's presidential election Former general Yudhoyono maintains lead in Indonesian vote count JAKARTA, Saturday (AFP) Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono maintained his lead over President Megawati Sukarnoputri Saturday with almost 70 percent of the vote counted after Indonesia's first direct presidential election. The General Elections Commission reported that Yudhoyono had slightly more than 29 million votes or 34 percent compared with Megawati's 22.5 million votes or about 26 percent. Wiranto, Yudhoyono's one-time military boss, remained in third spot with about 19 million votes, or 22 percent, according to the elections commission tally. Yudhoyono resigned as Megawati's top security minister earlier this year. He seems set to face her in a second round of voting on September 20. If nobody gets 50 percent plus one vote following last Monday's election, only the top two vote-getters will face off in the second round. Megawati has bounced back after millions of voters deserted her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in April legislative elections. Both she and Yudhoyono are trying to build political coalitions ahead of the next round but one of Megawati's campaigners, Heri Achmadi, said last week the contest will be a battle of their two images among the voters. Turnout in the election was estimated at 82 percent or about 125 million.. Monday's ballot was another milestone in Indonesia's democratisation after the fall of army-backed strongman Suharto in 1998. |
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