Indonesia votes in presidential poll

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono looked set for re-election today as Indonesia went to the polls in only its second direct presidential election since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship.

The liberal ex-general is hoping to avoid a run-off in September by beating opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri and outgoing Vice President Jusuf Kalla with a clear majority in the first round.

Victory will give the mild-mannered 59-year-old - who likes to write love songs in his spare time - a clear mandate to speed up bureaucratic reform and fight corruption in the most populous Muslim-majority nation.

He would also be the first president to serve consecutive terms at the helm of the world's third-biggest democracy behind India and the United States, after its violent birth at the end of three decades of dictatorship in 1998.

Most opinion polls indicate Yudhoyono has enough support to avoid a run-off, although some have pointed to a much closer race with Yudhoyono facing either Megawati or Kalla in a second-round decider.

The first polls to open were in the eastern province of Papua and voting was set to follow across the country with the final ballots closing at 0600 GMT.

"Polling is now open. The people are now invited to exercise their voting rights to choose their president and vice-president," election official Gadmodouw said from a polling station in Papua's provincial capital Jayapura.

Hundreds of thousands of police have been deployed across the vast archipelago of 234 million people to safeguard polling stations, especially in restive Papua where violence marred legislative polls in April.

Last-minute disputes over inaccurate voter lists were settled after Megawati - an ex-president and daughter of independence hero Sukarno - suggested Yudhoyono's supporters were trying to rig the vote.

New voters allowed to vote

In a dramatic ruling late Monday, the Constitutional Court changed voter registration rules to allow Indonesians left off the rolls to cast their ballots with identity cards.

"Let's make the election a success. Don't let the world see improper things happening in Indonesia," Yudhoyono said in response to the ruling.

Speaking to provincial governors on Tuesday, he called for a "smooth presidential election that is truly honest, fair, direct, free and secret."

Megawati called on Indonesians to vote with a "clear and honest mind."

"We are convinced that we can create a better future," she said.

Yudhoyono's popularity is based on five years of steady economic growth in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, slow but even-handed reform of the bureaucracy and security forces, and a tough anti-corruption drive.

He has also weathered the global financial meltdown, with strong domestic demand underpinning growth at around four percent this year.

Despite his popularity, Yudhoyono has been criticised for caving in to Islamist extremists over tolerance issues such as a controversial anti-pornography law and restrictions on the minority Ahmadiyah sect.

But his government has worked closely with the United States and Australia to crack down on Al-Qaeda inspired fanatics who launched the 2002 Bali bombings and other atrocities.

Three of the Bali bombers were executed by firing squad last year and hundreds of other terror suspects have been rounded up.

Economic nationalism vs neo-liberalism

Security issues have barely rated in the election debate, which has been fought over issues such as corruption, food prices and Indonesia's response to the pressures of globalisation.

Megawati and Kalla have both touted a brand of economic nationalism in response to what they have called Yudhoyono's "neo-liberalism", vowing to protect jobs from foreign competition and investment.

The presence of Suharto-era generals on all three tickets shows the lingering power of the old military elite in Indonesia, analysts said.

-AFP