This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8138870.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Voting ends in Indonesia election Incumbent ahead in Indonesia poll
(40 minutes later)
Voting has been taking place in Indonesia's second direct presidential election since the overthrow of the Suharto regime in 1998. Voting has ended in Indonesia's presidential election, with exit polls suggesting the incumbent, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has a clear lead.
Initial exit polls give incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono a comfortable lead over his rivals. Unofficial counts indicate that Mr Yudhoyono may have been re-elected with more than 50% of the vote - enough of a margin to avoid a run-off in September.
Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and outgoing Vice-President Jusuf Kalla are also contesting the poll. Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and outgoing Vice-President Jusuf Kalla were also contesting the poll.
More than 250,000 police and 20,000 soldiers were mobilised across the archipelago ahead of the vote. The vote passed off peacefully across the country's thousands of islands.
Security was reported to be especially tight in the provinces of Aceh, in the far west, and Papua, in the far east, both of which have experienced unrest in recent years. A controversy over voter lists slightly marred the run-up to the poll, amid claims that duplicate names and even the names of dead people were appearing on the electoral rolls.
About 176 million people had registered to vote at more than 500,000 polling stations. The first polling stations opened in Indonesia's easternmost region, Papua, on Wednesday morning. 'Corruption-free'
Corruption-free? The first polling stations opened in Indonesia's easternmost region, Papua, where extra police were on standby in case of a repeat of the recent violence linked to separatist groups.
Soon after voting ended, initial exit polls gave Mr Yudhoyono a clear lead, with more than 50% of the vote. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country
If these preliminary indications are right, he will avoid a second round run-off in September. But no major problems were reported there or elsewhere, as voting got under way throughout the rest of this huge archipelago spanning three time zones and 17,000 islands.
Support for his Democratic Party surged to more than 20% at parliamentary elections in April. This is only the second direct presidential election since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998, and about 170 million people were eligible to vote.
Mr Yudhoyono, a 59-year-old former general, was elected in Indonesia's first direct election in 2004, defeating then-President Megawati. Official results are not expected for several days but, based on several unofficial figures compiled in local media, Mr Yudhoyono might well avoid a second round run-off in September.
For this he needs more than 50% of the vote, and 20% in all 33 provinces.
"Today is the people's day," Mr Yudhoyono told reporters after casting his vote in the town of Bogor, on Java island.
The 59-year-old former general was elected in Indonesia's first direct election in 2004, defeating then-President Megawati.
He has been boosted by the success of the economy and a corruption-free image, correspondents say.He has been boosted by the success of the economy and a corruption-free image, correspondents say.