Carter hails Indonesia's first pres polls

JAKARTA, July 7 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter hailed Indonesia's first direct presidential election, calling it a "dramatic transition" to democracy.

Carter said Indonesia's 155 million registered voters and 575,000 polling stations make the Indonesian election the largest single-day election in the world.

"In just a short period of six years, Indonesia has made a dramatic transition from authoritarian rule to democracy," Carter said.

The presidential race now goes into a September showdown between incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri and retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono leads with 33.69 percent to Megawati's 26.38 percent. Former armed forces chief Wiranto came in third with 22.14 percent.