JAKARTA - INDONESIA'S election was largely free and fair, independent observers said on Thursday, as preliminary results showed the president had easily won enough votes to govern for another five years.
Early returns showed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had more than 60 per cent of the votes, more than enough to avoid a September runoff.
But the campaign of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Thursday alleged that Dr Yudhoyono's Democratic Party committed electoral fraud. Without providing proof, they questioned the validity of quick counts after polling and threatened to contest the final results, raising fears of political deadlock in this predominantly Muslim nation of 235 million.
'The implementation of the presidential elections was still far from democratic,' said Prabowo Subianto, Mdm Megawati's vice presidential running mate. Her camp claims it has found millions of fictional names on the list of eligible voters. But observers said Wednesday's election process had been a success.
'So far there is no evidence of systematic or massive fraud,' said Nico Harjanto of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting even if all the contested votes were awarded to Dr Yudhoyono's opponents, the president would still win.
The result was welcomed by the United States, which works closely with Jakarta to counter the threat of Islamist militancy and seeks to mend ties with the Muslim world. American businesses have significant holdings in the resource-rich country, Southeast Asia's largest economy.
US Ambassador Cameron Hume congratulated Dr Yudhoyono, saying in a statement that the peaceful vote 'demonstrated the commitment of Indonesians to their vibrant democracy.'
It was unclear if formal challenges to the vote had been filed, but similar complaints from the losers of the 2004 presidential election did not result in formal legal action.
The National Election Commission, which has faced widespread accusations of corruption and incompetence, did not respond to repeated phone calls seeking comment. The commission reported Dr Yudhoyono had 62 per cent in preliminary figures based on more than 18.7 million ballots counted.
Mdm Megawati was running second with 28 per cent, and Vice President Jusuf Kalla third with 10 per cent. The commission did not say how many ballots were cast in all. There were 176 million registered voters. A final result is expected by the end of July after all the ballots are collected in the capital, Jakarta, for recounting. -- AP
