Only Wiranto fails to woo neighbors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Neighbors proved on Monday they were faithful to presidential candidates, except for Wiranto, who is running under the Golkar Party flag.

Wiranto and his wife, Rugaiya Usman, cast their votes at a polling station near their home in Bambu Apus, East Jakarta, which saw Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono top the tally with 82 votes. Wiranto, who partners Muslim figure Solahuddin Wahid, had to be content with 61 votes for second place.

"It's an upset for Wiranto to lose in his own neighborhood. He helped finance the construction of the polling station," one of the neighbors said after the count.

Wiranto also lost to Susilo at a polling station on Jl. Cendana in upmarket Menteng, Central Jakarta, where former president and Golkar chief patron Soeharto and his family cast their votes.

As if to add insult to injury, Wiranto lost to Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) at a polling station near his childhood home in the Central Java town, Surakarta, where his parents live.

Solahuddin also saw his neighbors in Pela Mampang, South Jakarta, place little trust in him. His partnership with Wiranto finished only fourth, with 30 votes.

Incumbent president Megawati, meanwhile, produced a clean sweep in all five polling stations around her private residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta.

"Many of us said it was better to vote for our own neighbor. We know her well, so why should we vote for strangers?" Nurhayati, a Kebagusan resident said.

Megawati, husband Taufik Kiemas and their children cast their votes at polling station No. 046 in Kebagusan.

"Their presence had a psychological impact on voters," Kebagusan subdistrict chief Endang Efendi said.

Her running mate, Hasyim Muzadi, also won in the polling station near the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) headquarters on Jl. Kramat, Central Jakarta, where he and his wife Mutmainah cast their votes.

"I believe that we (he and Megawati) can finish among the top two to qualify for the second round. Let Allah determine the outcome," he said.

Amien Rais and his running mate, Siswono Yudohusodo, also finished first at the polling stations where they cast their votes.

Amien, his wife, Kusnaryati, and their children exercised their right to vote at a polling station near their house in Sleman, Yogyakarta. He won 127 of 227 votes counted.

"It is alright to lose, but should I win there will be a tough challenge ahead," he said before leaving the polling station.

The frontrunning pair of Susilo and Jusuf Kalla, who are nominated by the Democratic Party, also recorded wins at their respective polling stations and hometowns.

At a polling station in Cikeas, Bogor, where Susilo and his wife Ani Herawati cast their votes, the ticket secured almost 90 percent of the vote.

Kalla cast his vote at a polling station close to his private residence in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

Accompanied by his wife, three children and a son-in-law, Kalla said he was optimistic his ticket would secure 40 percent of the vote to reach the second round in September.

Presidential candidate from the United Development Party (PPP), Hamzah Haz, his first wife, Asmaniah, and members of their family exercised their right to vote at a polling station close to their residence on Jl. Tegalan, Palmeriam in East Jakarta.

Hamzah and his running mate, Agum Gumelar, dominated the polling with 75 votes, with Amien-Siswono second.

Pollsters have predicted that Susilo and Kalla will finish first, with Megawati-Hasyim, Wiranto-Solahuddin and Amien-Siswono all squaring off for the other place in the runoff.