JAKARTA, July 8 (RIA Novosti) - Incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has a strong lead in Indonesia's presidential election in his quest for another five-year term, exit polls said on Wednesday.
The polls closed on Wednesday after 176 million voters cast their ballots in 450,000 constituencies across Indonesia. This is the second direct presidential election in the country.
Preliminary results say Yudhoyono, 59, secured 50.48% of the vote while his rivals - former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and vice president Jusuf Kalla - had 19.48% and 15.19% respectively, according to MetroTv.
TV One said Yudhoyono, a former military general who leads the Democratic Party, gained 53.87 % of the vote while Sukarnoputri and Kalla had 20.4% and 25.79% respectively.
The official poll results are not expected for several days. A run-off will be held in September if no candidate wins more than 50% of the total vote and at least 20% in each of the country's 33 provinces.
