(7 Jun 1999) Eng/Indonesian
Polls in the Indonesian elections have closed, and the laborious counting process has begun, with preliminary results expected in 24 to 36 hours.
Indonesians got their first real taste of democracy for 44 years on Monday as voters cast the first ballots in elections for a new parliament.
Former U-S President Jimmy Carter, observing Indonesia's parliamentary election, hailed the smooth start to polling day on Monday.
But later, police confirmed a report that a polling station was set on fire about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Jakarta.
The elections are a massive logistical exercise, with 91 per cent of Indonesia's 130 million eligible voters registered in the world's fourth most-populous nation.
Torrential rain did appear to hamper the early turnout at polling stations across Jakarta.
But despite wet weather in the capital and other areas, a big turnout was expected.
Early voters at the capital's polling stations appeared a little uncertain of the political future of the country.
SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian)
"My feeling about the election is so-so. Deep inside my heart I have a little hope that this general election will be fair and honest."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop
SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian)
"Yes, I think there's still hope"
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop
Indonesia's former authoritarian President Suharto was one of the first to arrive at a polling station close to his house in Menteng, central Jakarta.
He took a seat to watch while another voter cast a ballot and had his thumb dipped in indelible ink - a measure designed to prevent multiple voting.
At another polling station close by, President B-J Habibie, Suharto's former protege and leader of the Golkar Party, was the ninth person in line at a polling station in a park about
100 metres from his house.
His wife, Hasri Ainun, cast her vote after her husband.
The night before the vote, Habibie appeared on national television to urge Indonesians to use their votes in Monday's historic general election to restore democracy and confidence in the nation.
In the run-up to Monday's vote, resentment against the ruling Golkar Party, has been strong.
In the last election, Golkar got 70 per cent of the vote.
Going into the election, Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle was the front runner.
But it was unlikely to win a majority in Parliament, creating the need for coalitions among the 48 parties that fielded at least 11-thousand candidates.
Megawati was taking a 'wait and see' approach, as she voted near her home on the southern outskirts of Jakarta.
After marking his ballot, Amien Rais of the National Awakening Party seemed confident that his party would have a role to play.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I am pretty confident at winning this election. Also winning means that my party have to share the victory with other political parties. But as I said the other day most probably my party will get the percentage in the neighbourhood of 25-30 per cent."
SUPER CAPTION: Amien Rais, National Awakening Party president
Up for grabs are 462 of the Indonesian Parliament's 500 seats.
The rest go to appointees of the powerful military.
The vast majority of Indonesians have never voted in a truly free election.
The first and last open ballot was in 1955 after the country became independent.
The ones that followed were largely rigged to ensure government candidates won.
Hundreds of foreign monitors, including former U-S President Jimmy Carter, are observing the election, helping hundreds of thousands of Indonesian volunteers.
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