Jakarta – Indonesian opposition leader and presidential candidate Megawati Sukarnoputri said Saturday she was "very sad" East Timor had voted overwhelmingly for independence.

Megawati, who had opposed the separation of East Timor, said she was "very concerned and very sad about the autonomy ballot's result," the Suara Pembaruan evening daily reported.

"For me, the most important issue was not the result of the ballot itself, but rather things that might happen after the poll result ... especially the refugees issue," she told journalists in the city of Yogyakarta, central Java.

While Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's founding president Sukarno, opposes independence for East Timor, she has said she will respect the ballot's outcome.

The research and development deputy chief of Megawati's Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle [PDIP], Subagio Anam, expressed concern East Timor could set a precedent for other restive provinces in Indonesia. "Giving the broad autonomy offer to one specific region was a political mistake, since this could set a precedent for other troubled provinces such as Aceh and Ambon," he told AFP.

He restated the PDIP's stance that President B.J. Habibie had violated the Indonesian constitution by offering East Timor broad autonomy, which was turned down overwhelmingly according to poll results announced by the UN Saturday. "Habibie is a transitional president ... so if he wanted to alter Indonesia's political map, he should have asked permission from the People's Consultative Assembly," he said.

The assembly, Indonesia's supreme legislative body, which ratified the forcible incorporation of East Timor into Indonesia in 1976, must now vote on whether to let the former Portuguese territory go its own way.

The evening daily also quoted ruling Golkar party chairman Akbar Tanjung as saying he found East Timor's rejection of the autonomy offer wholly unexpected.

During a trip to the territory last month to campaign for autonomy, Tanjung was optimistic East Timorese would opt to stay with Indonesia.

"The astounding result of the popular consultation was something beyond my expectations. This is something that is very shocking," Tanjung was quoted as saying Saturday.

He also called on the government to welcome and help many Indonesians and pro-autonomy East Timorese who were fleeing the territory as it moves towards independence.

The PDIP topped June 7 national elections with 33.7 percent of the vote, with Habibie's Golkar trailing in second place on 22 percent.

The PDIP has secured 153 parliamentary seats, while Golkar has 120. Megawati's party did not win enough seats to guarantee her selection as president when the People's Consultative Assembly convenes from October.

The legislative session will be the first electoral test for Habibie since he replaced former president Suharto in May last year.