The implementation of the election has proceeded well.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The presidential election had run smoothly and peacefully without any significant obstacles, stated Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

"The implementation of the election has proceeded well," the defense minister noted after observing the pacification of the election at the Jakarta Military Commands Post in East Jakarta on Wednesday.

During the observation tour of the command post, the minister was accompanied by the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Commander General Moeldoko, Army Chief General Budiman, Navy Chief Admiral Marsetio, Air Force Chief Marshal Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, and the chief of the Jakarta Military Command.

TNI Chief General Moeldoko noted that the implementation of the presidential election had been held peacefully and securely.

"We hope the security condition ahead will remain conducive," he added.

Moeldoko explained that the observation of security conditions can be done not only in the Jakarta Military Commands Post but also in the command posts of other armed forces such as the Armys Strategic Command (Kostrad), the Special Military Task Force, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force.

Moeldoko remarked that some of the soldiers deployed to assist the police in securing the elections were stationed along with police forces such as the Jakarta Police and Resort Police in several regions.

He pointed out that the regional military elements should not remain silent if they observed something unfavorable that can hinder the implementation of the election.

"That is a kind of involvement of the military to anticipate the occurrence of fraud. We will guard the transportation of ballot boxes, so that they will not be pirated or burned (by irresponsible parties)," Moeldoko emphasized.

Indonesian citizens flocked to polling stations to vote for a new president for the 2014-2019 term of office on Wednesday.

According to the General Elections Commission (KPU), a total of 190,307,134 eligible voters have been registered for the presidential election on July 9, 2014, with 486,866 polling stations set up across the archipelago.

The total number of eligible voters included 2,038,711 overseas voters who cast their votes three to four days ahead of the nationwide polling day.

The presidential election is being contested by two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates, Prabowo Subianto with Hatta Rajasa as his running mate, and Joko Widodo who pairs with Jusuf Kalla.

The winning pair will be officially inaugurated as the countrys seventh president and vice president in October 2014.

(A014/INE/B003)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2014