INTERFAITH LEADERS CALL ON PEOPLE TO VOTE IN ELECTION

Jakarta, July 7 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's interfaith leaders called on the people throughout the country to visit the polling stations and cast their ballots in Wednesday's presidential election.

"In the 2009 presidential election, we appeal to the people to exercise their political right smartly and freely with full responsibility," chairman of the Interfaith Community for Indonesian Peace, Din Syamsuddin told a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said voters who had not yet been included in the permanent electoral rolls were requested to visit polling stations to cast their ballots using their identity cards.

Present on the occasion were 16 representatives of different religious communities, among others chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Amidhan, chairman of the Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi) Rusli, representative of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) Y Dwi Harsanto and representatives of the Indonesian Churches Council (PGI) Gomar Gultom and Saltobing Silitonga.

The interfaith leaders also called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) and its rank and file to work with a high degree of professionalism, fairness, neutrality and justice.

They asked the people to help make all stages of the election a success and to help maintain unity, harmony and peace.

The KPU will stage the presidential election on Wednesday, July 8, 2009. Three candidates are to contest the poll for the 2009-2014 term of office.

The three presidential and vice presidential pairs are Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate Prabowo Subianto (Mega-Pro), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his pair Boediono (SBY-Boediono), and Jusuf Kalla who runs for president with Wiranto (JK-WIN).

Megawati is former president and leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDIP) while her running mate Prabowo is the chairman of the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and a former commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the incumbent president and chief patron of the Democratic Party (PD) while his running mate Boediono is a former governor of Bank Indonesia, the central bank.

Jusuf Kalla is the incumbent vice president and chairman of the Golkar Party while Wiranto is a former commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).***1***