The Jakarta Post, 6/23/2004 2:07:23 PM
Susilo warns of violence
JAKARTA (AP): The leading contender in Indonesia's presidential election next month
warned Wednesday that if the race goes to a run-off in September, it could get so
polarized that supporters of the losing candidate may "burn down cities."
But Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono predicted in an interview with The Associated Press
that he would likely win more than 50 percent of the votes in the July 5 election,
making a second round of voting in September unnecessary.
The retired army general said that if he wins, he would step up the fight against
terrorism in the world's most populous Muslim nation, and normalize military relations
between Jakarta and Washington.
Opinion polls show support for Yudhoyono just below the 50 percent mark, around 30
percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, incumbent President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.
Yudhoyono said that a second round of voting between the two top finishers would be
like "a boxing match, someone must fall."
"Maybe the contestants will be OK with that, but their followers may fight, be angry
and burn down cities," he said at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport before
boarding his chartered jet to hit the campaign trail.
"Maybe it will be much better if this is won in one round," he said. (*)
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