Indonesians vote in president poll

About 190 million registered voters head to the polls today to decide who should be the president of Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy.

They will choose between Joko Widodo, the governor of Jakarta, and Prabowo Subianto, an ex-army general.

Opinion polls so far have suggested that it will be a very tight race.

Mr Widodo, also known as Jokowi, appeared to be leading in opinion polls early on, but that margin narrowed as Mr Subianto gained ground.

In recent weeks media outlets have been accused of favouring particular candidates, prompting outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to call for more balanced coverage.

Mr Yudhoyono cannot stand for another term as the constitution has a two-term limit.

Commentators say undecided voters will have a significant impact on results. About one-fifth of Indonesians fell into this category in the late June surveys.

Security tight

Mr Widodo, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is a popular figure with the public.

Mr Widodo is said to be popular with young voters especially

Mr Subianto is a former army general and seen by voters as a decisive figure

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Indonesia elections

190million

eligible voters

• 30% will be first-time voters at

• 479,183 polling stations on

• 8,000 inhabited islands across Indonesia and overseas

Source: IFES

AP

He is supported by young people in both urban and rural areas who see him as a clean politician in a country beset by corruption.

But critics say he lacks experience in national politics and international relations.

He is supported by Indonesia's most popular Islamic Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the National Democrat Party (NasDem).

Mr Subianto, from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), is seen as a convincing campaigner and a decisive man with good knowledge of defence, because of his military background.

He has, however, been dogged by allegations of human rights abuses committed during former dictator Suharto's regime, which ended in 1998.

In the final days of Suharto's rule, the unit which he commanded is accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing activists protesting against Suharto.

Mr Subianto is supported by Golkar, which is Indonesia's second largest party. He is also endorsed by the Democratic Party (Demokrat) of current leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Both campaigns have used nationalistic rhetoric on the economy, corruption and other domestic issues such as infrastructure and social security, but they have been less vocal on detailed policies on job creation and boosting economic growth.

Military and police forces are being deployed in Jakarta for the vote on Wednesday

Ballot boxes have been ferried to remote islands in speedboats and sent by helicopters to far-flung hamlets

Ahead of the vote, election officials have been delivering ballot boxes to polling stations around the country, ferrying them to Indonesia's numerous islands by speedboat, carrying them on horseback along mountain paths and dropping them off at remote hamlets with helicopters and small planes.

Meanwhile in Jakarta the authorities have deployed 22,300 policemen to keep the peace, reports say.

The official result will be announced on 21-22 July, but independent and unofficial poll counts will be provided on Wednesday and are known to be accurate.

The new president will be inaugurated on 20 October and will have to appoint a cabinet within two weeks.

Indonesians vote in president poll

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