7 October 2004 Edition

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Former general wins Indonesia's presidential elections

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been declared the runaway winner of Indonesia's presidential election, capping a rapid rise to power for the former general who has vowed to create jobs and fight terrorism. The independent election commission said Yudhoyono had won 60.6% of Indonesia's historic first direct leadership ballot, to incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri's 39.4%.

Commission officials told a news conference on Monday the result was valid, and made no mention of threats by Megawati's team to file a complaint to the Constitutional Court over alleged fraud.

The poll marked a major step forward in Indonesia's democratic transition, following a violent and messy six years since the downfall of the dictator Suharto, a former general who ruled with an iron fist for 32 years.

According to the results, Yudhoyono beat Megawati by around 25 million votes. More than 116 million people voted.

Yudhoyono has said his cabinet would mostly comprise professionals, unlike previous governments that drew heavily from Indonesia's major political parties, hindering cohesion and sparking division. He said that his Ministers would sign accountability contracts, indicating poor performing Ministers may not last.

It remains to be seen what the new president's policy will be towards calls for self-determination from West Papua, Aceh and other nations under Indonesia occupation.


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