Megawati Soekarnoputri will likely have to answer a sensitive question about sex ­from a team of doctors officially assigned to examine the mental and physical capabilities of presidential candidates and their running mates.

Under the medical standards set by the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), female candidates must avoid sexual relations for at least 10 days before undergoing a medical checkup by the official team.

Megawati, who chairs the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), will almost certainly be the only female candidate to contest the July 8 presidential election.

The requirement for a female candidate to avoid having sex is to prevent the outcome of her medical checkup from showing “biased” results, IDI chairman Fachmi Idris said without elaborating.

All male and female candidates were also ordered to fast one day before undergoing the compulsory checkup, instructed to only drink water.

According to the General Elections Commission (KPU), medical checkups for candidates are scheduled for May 13 to May 15 at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital (RSPAU) in Central Jakarta.

But the IDI said the team of doctors are able to continue the examination process up until May 18, two days after the KPU closes the registration for presidential candidates.

Under the 2008 presidential election law, all candidates must obtain a medical certificate from a hospital strictly appointed by the KPU.

This time around, the national elections body has assigned the IDI to perform medical checkups on all presidential candidates and their running mates.

According to the IDI, the candidates must not have certain diseases which could impact on their physical ability throughout the next five years. They are also required to show "strong mental skills, good observation capacities, analytical thinking and communication skills".

Megawati, who is yet to name her running mate, is poised to challenge both the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Boediono ticket and the Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto partnership.

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