IT'S 'DR' SBY
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It is now official. Retired Army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was declared on Monday winner of the election runoff, making him the country's first president to be directly elected since Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced that Susilo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla won the election with 69,266,350 votes or 60.68 percent of total valid votes, compared to incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri and partner Hasyim Muzadi's 39.38 percent.
Susilo, whose candidacy had raised fears of a return of the military to the political stage, refrained from making a public victory speech as Megawati's camp decided to contest the result in the Constitutional Court.
The court has given the two camps three days to file election complaints and will hear them only if the outcome is likely to affect the final vote counting result.
Arief Wibowo of the Megawati-Hasyim camp highlighted the fact that a number of polling stations in 12 provinces recorded more than 300 votes, the maximum figure of voters allowed in a polling station by the Election Law.
"In Nagrak subdistrict, Bogor regency, there were 17 polling stations that saw a dramatic increase in the number of voters," Arief told the plenary meeting, referring to polling stations in the vicinity of Susilo's private residence in Cikeas.
In the end, the Megawati-Hasyim team agreed to sign the official results from all provinces except West Java.
The team also said that it would challenge the election result through the Constitutional Court. "Our team of lawyers have prepared a strong case," Arief said, without elaborating.
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said that the commission would honor any decision the team would make.
"However, the Constitutional Court will decide whether there is a strong basis for the complaint. They could only come up with an allegation of irregularities from two regencies," he told reporters.
KPU also said spoiled ballots in the Sept. 20 election reached 2,405,651, while the number of people who did not exercise their voting rights stood at around 35 million. At least 153 million people voted in the election.
In the final tally, Susilo reigned supreme in almost all the country's 32 provinces, even in provinces considered to be Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) strongholds such as North Sumatra, Central Java and Yogyakarta.
Megawati came first only in four provinces Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and West Kalimantan.
Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, KPU chairman, hailed the result as a victory for the world's third largest democracy, which emerged from the autocratic grip of former president Soeharto in 1998.
"It feels like public participation has been so tremendous that it propelled both presidential and vice-presidential candidates toward healthy competition," Nazaruddin was quoted by Agence-France Presse as saying.
"The fact that all three elections proceeded peacefully is a remarkable achievement for Indonesian citizens."
However, confusion over who should make the first formal speech on the official election result saw Susilo and Megawati silent and cautious on Monday about future political developments.
Susilo had planned to deliver a formal acceptance speech on Monday evening. His team sent out text messages inviting journalists to attend Susilo's victory speech in Cikeas, West Java at 7 p.m. on Monday evening.
However, when journalists came at the designated time to his private residence, Susilo, who normally looks confident, looked baffled.
He made a short remark about the KPU confirming his lead in the poll only after being pursued by journalists who had flocked to his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor regency, anticipating an official statement.
"I am grateful to God and the next step will be reconciliation. It is time to move ahead," he told reporters.
Susilo said that reconciliation was noble in these times.
One of Susilo's confidants Maj. Gen. (ret) Djali Jusuf said that the new president would likely deliver his acceptance speech after the Constitutional Court wrapped up hearing complaints from the losing candidates.
"Pak SBY honors the existing election regulations which grants the Constitutional Court a three-day period to settle all disputes. The speech may be given on Oct. 8 or Oct. 9," he told reporters.
Following the KPU announcement, Megawati held a private meeting at her private residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta, with Hasyim, interim minister for political and security affairs Hari Sabarno, National Intelligence Chief A.M. Hendropriyono and members of her campaign team.
Hasyim left the meeting early without making any statement.
Megawati was expected to give a speech at 6 p.m. about the election results, but she canceled it without any clear reason.