INDONESIA: INDONESIA'S FORMER GENRAL SUSLO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO PROJECTED TO WIN LANDMARK ELECTION AND GAP WIDENS FOR SECOND PLACE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Record ID:
566298
INDONESIA: INDONESIA'S FORMER GENRAL SUSLO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO PROJECTED TO WIN LANDMARK ELECTION AND GAP WIDENS FOR SECOND PLACE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
- Title: INDONESIA: INDONESIA'S FORMER GENRAL SUSLO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO PROJECTED TO WIN LANDMARK ELECTION AND GAP WIDENS FOR SECOND PLACE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
- Date: 6th July 2004
- Summary: (W3) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 6, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV/MCU/CU PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO SITTING INSIDE BOROBUDUR HOTEL, VENUE OF OFFICIAL ELECTRONIC TALLY BY INDONESIA'S ELECTION COMMISSION, AND WATCHING RESULTS ON WIDE SCREEN (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. PAN GRAPHICS OF RESULTS / YUDHOYONO SITTING IN FRONT OF SCREEN 0.19 3. SV JOURNALISTS 0.22 4. SV YUDHOYONO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE 0.27 5. MCU (English) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO SAYING: "For me 33 to 34 percent is about okay. Actually my own estimate, not polls estimate, is around 35 percent. If I could reach that figure then I would be okay for me to go to the second round. Of course I have to develop my strategy, my tactics, my actions to win on the next battle." 0.51 6. SV CAMERAMEN AND JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (INAUDIBLE) 0.55 7. MCU (English) YUDHOYONO SAYING: "Well, I am ready to go to the second round whoever will be my competitor. Because for me both pak Wiranto and ibu Megawati has his or her own strength and weakness. In politics, I have to be ready for competing on the second round in the runoff." 1.16 8. SV YUDHOYONO LEAVING 1.25 (W2) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 6, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. SLV NEWSPAPER STAND 1.30 10. LAS MAN READING NEWSPAPER 1.33 11. CU JAKARTA POST HEADLINE, IN ENGLISH, READING "OPTIMISM MARKS HISTORIC ELECTION" WITH PICTURES OF FIVE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES VOTING 1.38 12. PAN OF FRONT-PAGE PICTURES FROM PRESIDENTIAL FRONT-RUNNER SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO TO INCUMBENT PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI 1.48 13. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) DEDI, JAKARTA RESIDENT, SAYING: "As a supporter of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, I feel ever more deeply that the people's aspirations have truly been conveyed by the results. We couldn't ask for anything more. News on television said that SBY will enter the second round with 33 percent of the votes." 2.08 14. CU MAN FOLDING NEWSPAPERS 2.13 15. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) HERI, ANOTHER JAKARTA RESIDENT, SAYING: "To me, I have no problem with whomever the president will be. Most importantly that person can first improve security conditions, and secondly provide for the people's needs." 2.35 (U1) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 6, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 16. CU QUICK COUNT RESULTS ON SCREEN WITH CANDIDATES AND PERCENTAGES OF THE VOTE 2.46 17. MEDIUM OF RESULTS ON SCREEN, SHOWING 33:9 PERCENT GAINED BY SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO AND HIS RUNNING MATE 2.52 18. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE BY THE U.S.-BASED NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE (NDI) 2.57 19. MCU (English) PAUL ROWLAND, NDI'S COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE, SAYING: "In the first round of Indonesia's first direct presidential election, there is no outright winner. The ticket of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla has received the most votes of the five tickets, as predicted in many pre-election surveys, for the projected 33:9 percent." 3.20 20. SV JOURNALISTS 3.25 21. MCU (English) ROWLAND SAYING: "Due to the small margin separating Megawati and Wiranto in this projections and the number of invalid ballots that will be subject to rechecking it is still unclear as to which ticket will come in second and advance to the second round." 3.45 (W3) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 6, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 22. SLV INTERIOR SUB-DISTRICT OFFICE AND OFFICIALS RE-COUNTING VOTES, RE-OPENING BALLOT BOXES 3.50 23. CU OFFICIAL OPENING PAD LOCK ON BALLOT BOX 3.54 24. LAS OFFICIAL EXAMINING BALLOT PAPERS AND PASSING THEM ON TO ANOTHER OFFICIAL 4.00 25. SV/CU OFFICIALS LOOKING AT BALLOT PAPERS, RECORDING THE VOTES (2 SHOTS) 4.11 26. SV OFFICIAL WRITING DOWN ELECTION RESULTS ON WHITE BOARD 4.15 27. CU ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR 4.20 28. SV ELECTION MONITOR, WITH CALCULATOR, COUNTING THE VOTES FROM THE WHITE BOARD 4.26 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NATURAL WITH ENGLISH AND BAHASA INDONESIA SPEECH
- Country: Indonesia
- Reuters ID: LVA31GKN98NI2DPMIRMW9LBNNBQB
- Story Text: Indonesia's Yudhoyono projected to win landmark
election and gap widens for second place in the
presidential race.
Indonesia's former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
was projected as the top vote-getter on Tuesday (July 6),
with 33.2 percent of the vote, in the country's first
direct presidential election. The gap between two
candidates fighting for second place was widening as a
representative sample of votes, by the U.S-based National
Democratic Institute, and a local research organisation,
showed incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri winning 26
percent and ex-general Wiranto 23.3 percent.
But the retired general failed to win a majority in the
first round. Early results showed Yudhoyono garnered the
highest number of votes in Monday's first round but the
percentage was not as high as many had expected.
"For me 33 to 34 percent is about okay. Actually my own
estimate, not polls estimate, is around 35 percent. If I
could reach that figure then I would be okay for me to go
to the second round. Of course I have to develop my
strategy, my tactics, my actions to win on the next
battle," Yudhoyono told journalists.
The cool 54-year-old candidate faces a tough campaign
ahead of a September 20 run-off but said he was ready for a
fight, regardless who his competitor might be.
"Well, I am ready to go to the second round whoever
will be my competitor. Because for me both pak Wiranto and
ibu Megawati has his or her own strength and weakness. In
politics, I have to be ready for competing on the second
round in the runoff," he said.
The margin between Megawati and Wiranto was too small
to say who Yudhoyono would face in the run-off.
With much at stake in a country of 220 million people
with a wobbly economy and concerns about Islamic militancy,
Yudhoyono now faces a tough campaign against incumbent
Megawati Sukarnoputri or former armed forces chief Wiranto.
On major issues, little divides Yudhoyono from Megawati
and Wiranto. All want to raise incomes in a country where
half the population lives on less than $2 a day. All have
promised to fight terror in a country where Islamic
militants linked to al Qaeda have carried out a spate of
bombings.
Whoever wins will have trouble taking a harder line on
terrorism and dealing with underlying problems hurting the
economy and discouraging investment, analysts say.
About 85 percent of Indonesia's population is Muslim,
and while most are moderate, many still doubt militant
Islamists are behind bombing attacks or that there should
be a crackdown on the religious schools seen as breeding
extremists.
Economists list unwieldy regional autonomy, labour
problems, poor infrastructure and legal uncertainty
combined with rampant graft as issues making both foreign
and domestic investors reluctant to expand old businesses
or start new ones.
As a result, growth is too slow to dent unemployment
and under-employment affects 40 percent of the
100-million-strong workforce.
"As a supporter of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, I feel ever more
deepl
y that the people's aspirations have truly
been conveyed by the results. We couldn't ask for anything
more. News on television said that SBY will enter the
second round with 33 percent of the votes," said Dedi, a
man in the street and Yudhoyono supporter.
"To me, I have no problem with whomever the president
will be. Most importantly that person can first improve
security conditions, and secondly provide for the people's
needs," said Heri, a Jakarta resident.
Unofficial reports put turnout at more than 80 percent
as Indonesians from far eastern Papua province to Hindu
Bali and strife-torn Aceh in the west voted in force.
With about 14 percent of the vote counted, Yudhoyono
was ahead with about 34 percent, a slimmer lead than many
had expected over Megawati's 26 percent. Wiranto had 22
percent.
Some analysts said Megawati won more votes than
expected with the help of her running mate, a Muslim
leader, and also as the momentum behind Yudhoyono's
meteoric rise began to ebb.
A representative sample of ballots by the U.S.-based
National Democratic Institute (NDI) and a local research
organisation projected Yudhoyono would gain 34 percent of
the vote. Their projections have been highly accurate in
the past.
"The news in short is that in the first round of
Indonesia's first direct presidential election, there is no
outright winner. The ticket of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Jusuf Kalla has received the most votes of the five
tickets, as predicted in many pre-election surveys, for the
projected 33.9 percent," said NDI's Paul Rowland.
Rowland made the statement during the announcement of
quick-count results shortly after midnight after Monday's
election.
"Due to the small margin separating Megawati and
Wiranto in this projections and the number of invalid
ballots that will be subject to rechecking it is still
unclear as to which ticket will come in second and advance
to the second round," he said.
The margin of Yudhoyono's first round win was a
surprise. Opinion polls had given him 40-45 of the vote, 30
percentage points ahead of his rivals. Voters liked his
scandal-free image and pledge of firmer leadership.
But Megawati and Wiranto have formidable political
machines behind them, unlike Yudhoyono's fledgling party
that struggles for funds and influence.
Final election results will only be announced by the
election commission at the end of July.
The People's Network for Voter Education estimated
turnout at 70-75 percent -- 10-15 percent below April's
legislative elections.
The group expressed concern about the folded ballot
that caused some voters to double-punch the ballot paper.
But the election commission ordered those votes counted
anyway and said it would not affect the results.
An Indonesia expert at Chicago's Northwestern
University, Jeffrey Winters, said a technical problem over
valid ballots on Monday had opened the door for the loser
in that race to dispute the result.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None