Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – Early unofficial results in Indonesia's presidential election have Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono being returned to office for a second five-year term.
With the biggest question leading into today's vote being by how much the incumbent would beat his two challengers, Dr Yudhoyono appears to have easily won a clear majority.
To avoid a second-round run-off election, he needed to attract at least 50 per cent of the national vote comprising 20 per cent of votes in at least half of the country's 33 provinces.
Several independent organisations providing "quick-count" results have Dr Yudhoyono and his running mate, respected economics professor Boediono, at 60 per cent of the national vote, with results in from all provinces.
Trailing a long way behind in second place are former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and retired general Prabowo Subianto, with around 26 or 27 per cent of the vote.
Golkar party candidates Jusuf Kalla, a businessman who is currently Vice President, and retired army general Wiranto, are in third place with less than 13 per cent.
Indonesia's political opinion polling organizations have been criticized for being too closely linked to individual campaign teams.
However in parliamentary elections in April they proved remarkably accurate, tending to back their claims that although they received funding from political groups, they operated independently of them.
Three national television stations were blasted this afternoon for broadcasting running updates on the quick count results before polling booths officially closed at 1pm local time (4pm AEST). "This can have a direct effect on voting behaviour," election commissioner I Gusti Putu Arta said.
Dr Yudhoyono appeared at his Jakarta home flanked by family and supporters to warn that, while the successful conduct of the elections was to be applauded, the official figures from the country's electoral commission were the real test.
"We will continue to await (these) results," he said, to a cheering crowd. The official figures could take days to be made public.
General Prabowo dismissed the quick-count results, calling them "baseless" and "wrong".