Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the incumbent president of Indonesia, is favored to win presidential elections on Wednesday according to opinion polls. Yudhoyono first won the presidency in 2004 as the country's first directly elected head of state in the post-Suharto era. If re-elected, he would be the first president to serve consecutive terms. His main challenger is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's independence hero and former president. Also running is Susilo's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla. The elections will test Indonesia's democratic consolidation since ending authoritarian rule in 1998.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the incumbent president of Indonesia, is favored to win presidential elections on Wednesday according to opinion polls. Yudhoyono first won the presidency in 2004 as the country's first directly elected head of state in the post-Suharto era. If re-elected, he would be the first president to serve consecutive terms. His main challenger is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's independence hero and former president. Also running is Susilo's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla. The elections will test Indonesia's democratic consolidation since ending authoritarian rule in 1998.
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thesun 2009-07-06 page07 susilo holds aces as indonesia goes to poll
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the incumbent president of Indonesia, is favored to win presidential elections on Wednesday according to opinion polls. Yudhoyono first won the presidency in 2004 as the country's first directly elected head of state in the post-Suharto era. If re-elected, he would be the first president to serve consecutive terms. His main challenger is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's independence hero and former president. Also running is Susilo's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla. The elections will test Indonesia's democratic consolidation since ending authoritarian rule in 1998.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the incumbent president of Indonesia, is favored to win presidential elections on Wednesday according to opinion polls. Yudhoyono first won the presidency in 2004 as the country's first directly elected head of state in the post-Suharto era. If re-elected, he would be the first president to serve consecutive terms. His main challenger is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's independence hero and former president. Also running is Susilo's former vice president, Jusuf Kalla. The elections will test Indonesia's democratic consolidation since ending authoritarian rule in 1998.
Indonesia goes to polls JAKARTA: Indonesians will vote in presidential elections on Wednesday with opinion polls showing incum- bent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (pix) holding all the aces despite criti- cism of his market-friendly economic policies. The ex-general is hoping to win a clear majority and avoid a run-off in September after his centrist Demo- cratic Party tripled its vote in April’s general elections to become the larg- Megawati Susilo Jusuf est party in parliament. Susilo, known in Indonesia by his initials, SBY, won a landslide victory over Should he win, the Democrats’ performance in Democratic Party of Struggle leader and ex- April gives SBY greater authority to hand-pick president Megawati Sukarnoputri to become his cabinet and make good on promises to the country’s first directly elected head of state stamp out corruption and maintain economic in 2004. growth. If the 59-year-old wins he will be the first Highlights of his first term included a peace president to serve consecutive terms in the deal with Acehnese separatists which ended “Reformasi” era of democratic transition that a bitter 30-year conflict, multiple high-profile began with the fall of the Suharto dictatorship arrests of corrupt officials and steady economic in 1998. growth despite the global financial crisis. “In theory, the significance of this election But he also came under fire from civil is in the context of our efforts to consolidate society groups for caving in to calls from hard- democracy,” Indonesian Institute of Sciences line Islamists for restrictions on the minority political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti said. Ahmadiyah sect, and for backing a sweeping “In practice, it’s a battle of egos.” anti-pornography law despite broad opposi- Trailing the president in most opinion tion. His choice of respected economist and polls is Megawati, the 62-year-old daughter of former central bank chief Boediono as his run- Indonesia’s independence hero, Sukarno, and ning mate has also left him open to opposition the sentimental figurehead of the anti-Suharto charges of “neo-liberalism,” a label he rejects. movement in the late 1990s. “We’re certainly not neo-lib. A neo-lib Also making a long-shot bid is Susilo’s vice- government doesn’t stress the importance of president, Jusuf Kalla, 67, a rich businessman the government’s role and good governance,” and the wily, wise-cracking chairman of the Democratic Party economic advisor Darwin Golkar party, Suharto’s former political vehicle. Saleh said. – AFP
Five dead, 34 wounded in
Philippine church bombing COTABATO: Five people were killed and at least ties to hospital. City mayor Muslimin Sema said 34 wounded in a suspected Muslim rebel bomb the number of wounded had reached 34, as he attack outside a Catholic church in the strife-torn ordered stepped-up security to prevent further southern Philippines yesterday, officials said. attacks. A lone suspect left a home-made bomb “I condemn this incident that attacked in- outside the Immaculate Conception cathedral nocent civilians,” Sema said. in Cotabato city which exploded just as the City police chief Superintendent Willie Dan- congregation was leaving early morning mass, gane said no one had claimed responsibility for officials said. the attack, but confirmed that the suspected The church was not heavily damaged but a bomber was arrested as he tried to bring an- restaurant across the street appeared to have other device into the church. absorbed much of the impact, witnesses said. Regional military spokesman Lt-Col Jonathan Ordnance experts searched for clues among Ponce was quick to blame the separatist Moro blood-spattered debris on the road outside the Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the blast. church. “The special operations group of the MILF is Police said four people, including two soldiers, behind this,” Ponce said, adding that the MILF had were killed at the scene, while another died of carried out similar attacks in recent weeks. He his injuries in hospital. Many of the wounded said a bomb also allegedly planted by MILF rebels were women and children, according to Froi exploded in the nearby town of Datu Piang late Cordero, a priest who helped bring the casual- on Saturday, wounding three people. – AFP
leaving at least one person dead and three
others injured, Israeli public radio reported.
briefs Gunfire was heard after hundreds of people
from rival Arab families faced off against each other in the Silwan area, said witnesses quoted in the radio reports. No immediate motive for OAS suspends Honduras the violence was given. Several ambulances WASHINGTON: The Organisation of American were dispatched to the scene but the main States (OAS) suspended Honduras on Saturday af- Israeli police contingent in the area did not ter the Central American country ignored an OAS intervene, the witnesses said. – AFP ultimatum to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya. The OAS took the rare move to suspend Californian defends hot dog a member country at a meeting in Washington after the interim authorities in Honduras ignored title with world record a Saturday deadline to restore Zelaya to office. NEW YORK: Japan’s competitive eater Takeru Zelaya, who took power in 2006 and was due “Tsunami” Kobayashi, 31, conceded defeat again to leave office in 2010, was bundled into exile on Saturday to the 25-year-old Californian Joey by the military last Sunday after a dispute over “Jaws” Chestnut in what’s become their annual presidential term limits. – Reuters Fourth-of-July eat-off on Coney Island, outside New York City. Chestnut downed a world-record One dead in 68 wieners and rolls in ten minutes, besting Kobayashi’s 64, who came in second. The third Jerusalem clashes place eater lagged way behind with only 54. Last JERUSALEM: Clashes erupted on Saturday in year, Chestnut and Kobayashi went stomach-to- east Jerusalem between warring Arab clans, stomach with a tie of 59 hot dogs. – dpa