Candidates relax after hectic campaigns
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Makassar, South Sulawesi
The day after the election, the five presidential candidates spent probably their first day of relaxation after months of relentless campaigning, watching the ongoing tallying by the General Elections Commission (KPU) and "quick counts" from research agencies.
While the respective campaign teams of the candidates discussed provisional results, which put tickets Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla and Megawati Soekarnoputri-Hasyim Muzadi as the top two winners, the candidates themselves spent a quiet day at home -- except for Susilo.
Leading the provisional tallying all day with 15.5 million or 33.5 percent of votes as of 9 p.m., Susilo made a confident 30- minute impromptu visit to the KPU data center at the Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta.
Susilo said that he would soon develop "a new strategy" to anticipate his rival's strength; if no candidate wins a simple majority, the two candidates with the most votes have about two months to woo voters before the expected runoff on Sept. 20.
His running mate Kalla traveled to his hometown of Makassar, South Sulawesi, and received a huge welcome from locals.
"If we make it to the second round, we are of course willing to form a coalition with the other candidates," Kalla said.
Golkar presidential hopeful Wiranto was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday. A security guard at his housing complex said Wiranto left home around 8 a.m., but his media campaign manager Despen Opusunggu said he was relaxing at home.
Campaign team member Bomer Pasaribu said that Wiranto and his running mate Solahuddin Wahid were expected to visit Golkar headquarters later in the day to discuss the tallying progress.
The subjects of the discussion would include alleged practices of money politics by Wiranto's rivals in some regions.
The incumbent President Megawati stayed at her official residence on Jl. Teuku Umar, and held a brief meeting with officials of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which she is the leader.
"Ibu is quite happy and relaxed, she just asked about the tabulation and surveys predicting the final results" PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said.
He said that the party is confident of entering the runoff on Sept. 20, along with clear front-runner Susilo-Kalla.
At a lunch with journalists, Megawati's running mate Hasyim Muzadi said, "We'll see what happens, at least until the tabulation reaches around 30 percent of the votes."
The National Mandate Party (PAN) ticket Amien Rais-Siswono Yudhohusodo were also not seen in public on Tuesday. The provisional tallies so far only put the pair in fourth place after Susilo-Kalla, Megawati-Hasyim and Wiranto-Solahuddin.
"We still have a chance to make it through to the second round, because only a small percentage of the vote has been counted," PAN deputy chairman AM Fatwa said as quoted by Antara.
The ticket of the United Development Party (PPP) Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar, who so far only have around three percent of votes in the provisional tally, also stayed out of public sight.
The incumbent Vice President Hamzah spent the day at the house of his second wife, Titin Kartini, in Bogor, West Java. PPP deputy chairman Tosari Wijaya said it was too early to comment. "We respect the prediction, but we should wait until more results come in," he said.