INDONESIA 8 Jul 2009 Indonesians vote for president

Indonesia elects a president in an election distinguished by its logistical complexity. It involves some 180 million eligible voters casting ballots at all but a few of the 17,500 islands of the archipelago. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, formerly a high-ranking military official, is predicted to win. He is safe from his rivals for the present as the economy is still growing, albeit a little slower.

The incumbent's main rivals are former president Megawati Sukarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle, whom he defeated in 2004, and current Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Yudhoyono's small Democratic Party is in coalition with Golkar, Indonesia's largest party.

According to Bloomberg, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy expanded at the slowest pace in more than two years as the global recession crimped demand and reduced prices of the nation’s palm oil, rubber and electronics exports. The country's economists had expected a 5.7 percent increase, but the growth was 5.2 per cent in the fourth quarter. It had been 6.4 per cent a year earlier.

Since 1998, Indonesia has transformed, according to The Australian. The newspaper says there are now more than 30 political parties, a robust anti-corruption drive and the military, officially at least, is banned from political influence. The conservative Islamic parties have suspended campaigns for the introduction of shariah law. The two main Muslim organisations are stressing a just and prosperous nation rather than an Islamic state.

RELATED READING:

Democracy proves a winner (The Australian 14 Feb 2009)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25049713-25837,00.html

Indonesia grows at slowest pace in 2 years (Bloomberg 16 Feb 2009)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aYDQxfjQftbk&refer=asia

Indonesian ulema tells Muslims to vote or go to hell (Reuters 16 Feb 2009)
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/02/16/indonesian-ulema-tell-muslims-to-vote-or-go-to-hell/

Pre-election tensions surface in Indonesian coalition (ABC Australia 16 Feb 2009)
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/200902/s2492335.htm

Disgraced special forces head to run for president of Indonesia (ABC Radio Australia 17 Feb 2009)
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/200902/s2493597.htm