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| Voting begins in Indonesia poll | Voting begins in Indonesia poll |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Indonesians have begun voting in parliamentary elections, with 38 national parties contesting the polls. | Indonesians have begun voting in parliamentary elections, with 38 national parties contesting the polls. |
| Polling is now under way across the country. Earlier, violence erupted in the eastern Papua province, with at least six people reported killed. | Polling is now under way across the country. Earlier, violence erupted in the eastern Papua province, with at least six people reported killed. |
| More than 170 million people are eligible to cast a ballot in the elections, which will decide who can run for president in July. | More than 170 million people are eligible to cast a ballot in the elections, which will decide who can run for president in July. |
| President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's party is expected to do well. | President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's party is expected to do well. |
| Polling stations have opened across the country, an archipelago of thousands of islands, many of them in different time zones. | Polling stations have opened across the country, an archipelago of thousands of islands, many of them in different time zones. |
| A party or coalition that wins a fifth of the parliamentary seats can nominate a presidential candidate. | A party or coalition that wins a fifth of the parliamentary seats can nominate a presidential candidate. |
| Irregularities | Irregularities |
| With each election, Indonesia's democracy seems to inch forward another step, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta says. | With each election, Indonesia's democracy seems to inch forward another step, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta says. |
| More than 170 million people are eligible to vote in Indonesia's polls | |
| This time people get to vote directly for members of parliament, not parties, our correspondent says, which has made for a heated - and more expensive - campaign. | This time people get to vote directly for members of parliament, not parties, our correspondent says, which has made for a heated - and more expensive - campaign. |
| There is already concern about irregularities in the voter lists, she adds, and a lot of arguments about the voting process and the count are expected. | There is already concern about irregularities in the voter lists, she adds, and a lot of arguments about the voting process and the count are expected. |
| With hundreds of candidates, some voters may find the process confusing. "There were too many ballot papers and we didn't recognise the faces or candidates," Rivaldi Aswin, a 25-year-old bank clerk, told the Associated Press. | With hundreds of candidates, some voters may find the process confusing. "There were too many ballot papers and we didn't recognise the faces or candidates," Rivaldi Aswin, a 25-year-old bank clerk, told the Associated Press. |
| Top of many voters' concerns is the economy, with the election campaign ending just as the impact of the global financial crisis is being felt by voters. | Top of many voters' concerns is the economy, with the election campaign ending just as the impact of the global financial crisis is being felt by voters. |
| "I hope parliamentarians can help make everything cheaper," Sukinah, 79, told Reuters after voting in Yogyakarta on Java island. | "I hope parliamentarians can help make everything cheaper," Sukinah, 79, told Reuters after voting in Yogyakarta on Java island. |
| The parliamentary elections may also provide a useful litmus test of whether politics in Indonesia, the world's largest majority Muslim country, are becoming more Islamic, analysts say. | The parliamentary elections may also provide a useful litmus test of whether politics in Indonesia, the world's largest majority Muslim country, are becoming more Islamic, analysts say. |
| Tensions high | Tensions high |
| Voting opened first in the country's easternmost province of Papua. | Voting opened first in the country's easternmost province of Papua. |
| Earlier, between 80 and 100 people had attacked a police post in the provincial capital of Jayapura. | Earlier, between 80 and 100 people had attacked a police post in the provincial capital of Jayapura. |
| At least six people died in violence in Jayapura and elsewhere in the province, police said. | At least six people died in violence in Jayapura and elsewhere in the province, police said. |
| Tensions in Papua, where there is a separatist movement, are running high and some have called for a boycott of the elections. | Tensions in Papua, where there is a separatist movement, are running high and some have called for a boycott of the elections. |