By Abdullah Buqas, KUNA,
Kuala Lumpur : Indonesians headed Wednesday to poll centers to vote in the country’s second direct presidential election since the fall of the military regime of former president Suharto in 1998.
The Indonesian government’s spokesman for internal affairs told KUNA over the phone Wednesday that Indonesia had a democratic system that protected the right of the people in selecting their country’s president in freedom, justice, and credibility.
According to the constitutional law, the current Indonesian government did not interfere in counting votes which was the responsibility of the election committee, he stressed.
He pointed out that the election’s results will be announced Wednesday evening, adding that if no candidate got more than half of the votes, another round would be held on September 8.
Police and Army are prepared to prevent protests and rallies that might follow the announcement of results, he said.
The spokesman praised the performance of Indonesia’s current president and candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, saying the country witnessed, under his leadership, economic growth that exceeded six percent in 2007 and 2008, as well as a boost in the tourism industry.
Surveys expected the winning of Yudhoyono, who became president on October 20, 2004 after defeating former president and leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Soekarnoputri is competing again this year against Yudhoyono, as well as another candidate, leader of Golkar Party Jusuf Kalla.
Senior officers are supporting candidates in the 2009 presidential elections in which about 176 million of Indonesian’s 220 million people are eligible to vote.