Accept whoever wins poll: Mega<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri has reiterated her
\ncall for a peaceful election and asked the nation to accept
\nwhoever was elected the next president in the vote on Monday.<\/p>\n
In a speech on the eve of the final round of presidential
\nelections on Sunday, Megawati said all Indonesians were obligated
\nto support the next president.<\/p>\n
\"Whoever gains the people's trust as president and vice
\npresident in the current election are the country's legitimate
\nleaders, who must receive our sincere support and acceptance,\"
\nMegawati said.
\n.pa<\/p>\n
She said whatever the result and despite people's different
\npolitical affiliations, the election process should not undermine
\nnational unity.<\/p>\n
\"We have shown the world in the past two elections (this year)
\nthat we can participate in orderly and peaceful polls and there
\nis no need to have any security concerns,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia held a legislative election on April 5 and the first
\nround of presidential polls on July 5.<\/p>\n
Megawati's former chief security minister, Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, were the top
\npolling candidates the July 5 election, which was contested by
\nfive pairs of candidates, while Megawati came second.<\/p>\n
The incumbent president, paired with non-active Nahdlatul
\nUlama (NU) leader Hasyim Muzadi as her running mate, is facing a
\ntough battle on Monday as her popularity continues to trail
\nSusilo's.<\/p>\n
Along with the official Election Supervisory Committee
\n(Panwaslu) and independent domestic monitoring teams,
\ninternational bodies including one from the European Union and
\nthe Carter Center are observing the poll.<\/p>\n
Megawati warned of the possibility of increasing tensions
\nduring vote counting and asked all political, community and
\nreligious leaders to calm their supporters.<\/p>\n
Panwaslu officials and political analysts have said political
\nclashes could occur, particularly in Java where support for
\nMegawati and Susilo is relatively equal.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, poll workers assisted by residents started to
\nestablish polling stations around the country.<\/p>\n
In East Java, an important battlefield for the two rivals, a
\ngroup of NU clerics issued a religious edict banning abstention
\nin the election.<\/p>\n
One person likely to transgress the edict is influential
\nformer NU leader and president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, who
\nhas publicly stated many times he would abstain from voting in
\nthe runoff.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Gus Dur has given his support to his
\ndaughter Zanuba \"Yeni\" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman who is a member of
\nSusilo's campaign team. The former president has met separately
\nwith the two candidates several times.<\/p>\n
In Pekanbaru, Riau, the eve of election was marked with a
\ncampaign by a group calling for a boycott of the election on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
In Lhokseumawe, Aceh, currently under a state of civil
\nemergency, soldiers and police put up checkpoints on roads in and
\nout of the area and required all travelers to show their identity
\ncards.<\/p>\n
Monday's runoff is Indonesia's first direct presidential
\nelection since it gained independence in 1945.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/accept-whoever-wins-poll-mega-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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