SBY: 'Thank God' for quick count victory

Incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his gladness for a quick count result showing that he has won the presidential election in one easy round.

Yudhoyono said before the press in his private residence in Cikeas, near Jakarta, that he was "thankful to God…[and] friends" fighting along with him, and paid "... my respect to all Indonesians having given their votes and made the presidential election run orderly, securely and smoothly."

He added, however, that people should wait for the official count result from the General Elections Commission (KPU) to declare the real winner of the 2009 presidential election.

"To constituents, this is not over yet. The count will still continue. Let the KPU do its counting job and let the (counting) process from polling stations to the final stage continue," Yudhoyono said.

"Win or lose, both are noble. If one feels wronged and wants to protest, please channel it through the mechanism or procedures regulated under the law," he added.

Results of the quick counts conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) show that Yudhoyono and his running mate, former central bank governor Boediono lead the polls, securing 60 percent of the votes and easily defeating his contenders, former President Megawati Soekarnoputri with 26 percent votes and Vice President Jusuf Kalla with 12 percent votes.

LSI is reportedly funded by Fox Indonesia, the public relations consultant of Yudhoyono's campaign team.

The results of its quick count for the April 9 legislative elections, however, were proved to be not very different from the official result released by the KPU weeks after.