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| Southeast Asia |
| Bambang defeats Megawati |
| 2004-09-21 |
| Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has defeated Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri in a historic direct election but now has to deliver on promises of tighter security, better government and more jobs. As of early Tuesday, Yudhoyono had yet to claim victory after Monday's run-off, but he had won 60 percent of the ballots with about half the vote counted. Megawati had 40 percent. In past elections, early counting has proved a reliable guide to final results and pre-election polls as well as an independent survey of Monday's vote also forecast a Yudhoyono victory. Indonesia's financial markets strengthened on Tuesday after the peaceful conclusion to a long election season in the world's most populous Muslim nation and on expectations the market-friendly Yudhoyono, 55, will appoint a strong cabinet. The stock market hit an intra-day record in early trade before losing some gains on profit taking, while the rupiah currency was trading at around 8,990 to the dollar, above Monday afternoon levels of just over 9,000. Many expect Yudhoyono to retain Megawati's well-respected finance minister, Boediono, in his cabinet, although it could be more than a week before any cabinet announcement comes. "I'm thinking of forming ... the cabinet when I'm sure that I would win this election. Probably 10 days from now, I will be knowing that based on the count," Yudhoyono said on Monday. "Of course, before the inauguration, I will at least dispatch the main nominees," he said referring to the October 20 ceremony. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #9 saw this on XMC |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-09-21 7:55:23 PM |
| #8 He's going to take on Indonesia's problems like Batman! Bam! Bang! |
| Posted by: 2B 2004-09-21 7:49:30 PM |
| #7 apparentlt SBY did not have the support of Golakar, which is the party that had the most support from the Indon military, especially elements that were hawkish on East Timor. They threw their support to Sukarnoputri, though they never much liked her either. All in all this looks like quite a good thing. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-21 9:18:26 AM |
| #6 what is a secular muslim Its used differently by different people 1. Someone who doesnt beleive in Islam faith, but doesnt consider himself an apostate, and considers himself part of Islamic civilization. Parallel with the more common "secular Jew". Rare usage, ive seen it on an Iraqi blog and nowhere else. 2. Someone who does believe in Islam, and considers himself muslim, but who largely ignores muslim law, and isnt religious. For example whiskey drinking Gen. Dostum in Afghanistan, or large numbers of Turkish and Bosnian muslims. This seems to be the most common and correct usage. 3. Someone who is a muslim but opposes making Sharia into state law. The proper word here is "secularist", not secular muslim, since they are secular only in their approach to the state, not in their personal life. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-21 9:15:35 AM |
| #5 :-) lol! |
| Posted by: 2B 2004-09-21 8:37:00 AM |
| #4 2B: A logical impossibility. |
| Posted by: The Doctor 2004-09-21 8:21:29 AM |
| #3 what exactly is a "secular muslim". |
| Posted by: 2B 2004-09-21 7:53:30 AM |
| #2 You may be thinking of Wiranto, the Beeb sez, for whatever it's worth, that he wasn't involved in any of the killings in East Timor just before it became independent. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-09-21 2:18:25 AM |
| #1 didn't SBY preside over some of the Butchering of East Timor in the Suharto years? Our media is being stuffed with SBY fluff pieces at the moment trying to sell him: he's a secular not a fanatic, he's steady etc but I remember him being an army butcher under the previous dictatorship.... Is this right? Does anybody else remember anything about this General? |
| Posted by: Anon1 2004-09-21 2:11:39 AM |