- Title: INDONESIA: COUNTRY GEARS UP FOR A LANDMARK ELECTION
- Date: 4th July 2004
- Summary: (U3) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF TRAFFIC ON STREET CORNER IN JAKARTA; POSTERS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BY STREET SIGN 2. MUSLIM WOMAN PASSING POSTER OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES WIRANTO AND SOLAHUDDIN WAHID 3. POSTERS OF INCUMBENT PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI AND HER RUNNING MATE, HASYIM MUZADI, TAGGED ON TREES ON ROADSIDE; CLOSEUP OF MEGAWATI AND MUZADI; WIDE OF POSTERS ON BUILDING 4. CLOSEUP POSTER OF PRESIDENTIAL FRONT-RUNNER SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO AND HIS RUNNING MATE JUSUF KALLA; SLV MORE POSTERS ON CORNER OF STREET 5. CLOSEUP POSTER OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AMIEN RAIS AND HIS RUNNING MATE SISWONO YUDHOHUSODO 6. WIDE OF STREET WITH BALLOON ADVERTISING POLITICAL CANDIDATES ON BACKGROUND; CLOSEUP BALLOON OF YUDHOYONO-KALLA 0.58 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RIZAL MALLARANGENG, POLITICAL ANALYST AND DIRECTOR OF FREEDOM INSTITUTE, SAYING: "With the results that we have, more or less (it is) predicted that SBY and Kalla are going to be the first, the frontrunner. And then Megawati and Wiranto are tightly head to head competition between these two candidates. And then Amien Rais and Hamzah Haz are a little bit on the lowest rank." 1.27 8. PAN OF CAMPAIGN RALLY BY PRESIDENTIAL FRONT-RUNNER SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, ALSO KNOWN AS SBY; POSTERS AND FLAGS HELD BY SUPPORTERS; SLV YUDHOYONO WALKING TO STAGE, WAVING TO SUPPORTERS; SLV SUPPORTERS CHEERING 2.14 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO, PRESIDENTIAL FRONT-RUNNER, SAYING: "Frankly, it would not be an exaggeration for us to be optimistic that we could win the first round and God's willing enter the second round. We see that our toughest competitor differs depending on the province. We did well in all locations, but some we are head-to-head, at times with Megawati, at times with Wiranto, or Amien Rais." 2.54 10. SLV DRAGON DANCE GOING THROUGH CROWD DURING CAMPAIGN RALLY FOR PRESIDENTIAL PAIR MEGAWATI-MUZADI1; CLOSEUP OF SUPPORTER WITH BODY PAINT; MEGAWATI ADDRESSING CROWD 3.09 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI, INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, SAYING "Pick number two, my brothers and sisters, so that we can win this in just one round with 50 percent plus only one vote." 3.18 12. SUPPORTERS 3.22 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RIZAL MALARRANGENG SAYING: "This is going to be an uphill battle for Megawati. The only way for her to regain the momentum is to make some kind of touchy campaign strategy, which connect directly to the people again." 3.42 (U3) YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) 14. MV PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WIRANTO ARRIVING AT CAMPAIGN RALLY; SLV SUPPORTERS; SLV WIRANTO ADDRESSING CROWD 15. CLOSEUP OF BOY; WIDE OF RALLY 4.19 (U3) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) 16. SLV BALLOT PAPERS BEING PRINTED; WORKER CHECKING QUALITY OF BALLOT PAPER (4 SHOTS) 4.46 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JAKARTA, YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Reuters ID: LVA3B79A9X4X6TIMZ6AQ0GDMO8CT
- Story Text: Indonesia gears up for a landmark election.
Indonesians attend rallies around the countries on
Saturday (July 3) before going to the polls on Monday (July
5, 2004) to elect their president for the first time. A
respected former general is expected to take over the
troubled country.
This year's landmark elections follow a messy
transition to democracy in the world's most populous Muslim
nation since strongman Suharto quit in 1998, a six-year
period marred by political chaos, economic crisis and bomb
attacks by Islamic militants.
Many Indonesians hope the presidential front-runner,
former chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
will put their unwieldy resource-rich country on a more
stable footing, create the jobs they crave and stamp out
the pervasive corruption.
"With the (polling) results that we have, more or less
(it is) predicted that SBY and Kalla are going to be the
first, the frontrunner. And then Megawati and Wiranto are
tightly head to head competition between these two
candidates. And then Amien Rais and Hamzah Haz are a little
bit on the lowest rank," said Rizal Mallarangeng, political
analyst and director of Freedom Institute, referring to
Yudhoyono's nickname and his running mate.
More than 150 million people will be eligible to vote
across Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands
and 220 million people. In the past, a legislative body
chose leaders.
Opinion polls show Yudhoyono winning 40-45 percent of
the vote, way ahead of incumbent President Megawati
Sukarnoputri and other rivals, ex-military chief Wiranto
and Muslim leader Amien Rais. A fifth candidate has polled
almost no support.
"Frankly, it would not be an exaggeration for us to be
optimistic that we could win the first round and God's
willing enter the second round. We see that our toughest
competitor differs depending on the province. We did well
in all locations, but some we are head-to-head, at times
with Megawati, at times with Wiranto, or Amien Rais,"
Yudhoyono optimistically said.
In a new poll released on Friday (July 2), the
Indonesian Survey Institute said it was unlikely Yudhoyono
would win an outright majority on Monday. It predicted
Megawati would come second, with both going head-to-head in
a September run-off.
The poll gave Yudhoyono 43.5 percent of the vote.
Megawati scored 20.3 percent, Wiranto 14.9 percent and Rais
13.6 percent.
"This is going to be an uphill battle for Megawati. The
only way for her to regain the momentum is to make some
kind of touchy campaign strategy, which connect directly to
the people again," Mallarangeng said.
Megawati has so far struggled to inspire people. During
a presidential debate this week she looked uncomfortable
and read many of her responses to questions from prepared
notes. Her campaign rallies across the country had a
stronger showing than the numbers on public polls showed.
"Pick number two, my brothers and sisters, so that we
can win this in just one round with 50 percent plus only
one vote," Megawati told her supporters in a recent
campaign rally.
Indonesia's election commission has predicted a result
could be known within 10 days. A group of non-governmental
bodies will release projections within 24 hours of Monday's
vote. Their early tally of April parliamentary polls proved
quite accurate.
Whoever wins faces a tough job. Economic growth of four
percent has failed to create work
for five million new job seekers each year. Rampant graft
and an unpredictable legal system have sapped investment.
Much of that disenchantment is being directed against
Megawati, until a few months ago the favourite to win
despite criticism of her aloof and lacklustre rule.
Megawati restored relative stability to Indonesia, but
failed to make big dents in graft or improve the rule of
law.
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