By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA
Millions of Indonesians head to the polls today to vote for a new president in a tightly contested two-horse race.
The latest opinion polls put just 3.6 percent between everyman candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and ex-general Prabowo Subianto - Jokowi on 47.8 percent, while Subianto is on 44.2.
A large swathe of those who can vote Wednesday among Indonesia's 250 million population are still unsure, however - the latest poll putting "undecideds" at a whopping 8 percent.
Voting stations opened at 7am and close at 1pm, following a month of dirty campaigning, bribery and corruption allegations and clashes between supporters.
In the past month, questions have been raised in the nation's press about Jokowi's ethnicity, race and religion, along with allegations of corruption. One report even went as far as to claim he had died.
Subianto, meanwhile, has been accused of gross human rights violations when he was head of theIndonesian Special Forces, including the kidnapping of students in the last days of Suharto's regime.
Voters told the Anadolu Agency on Wednesday of their belief in the power of their vote in the world's third largest democracy.
"My voice is a great help for a presidential candidate whom I support," Sutrisna, 59, a food seller in Semarang City, told the Anadolu Agency Wednesday, who claimed to have voted in every election.
Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim nation -- was a military dictatorship until 16 years ago, governed by former president and dictator General Suharto.
Businessman Bagus Wibowo, 45, however, told AA that it was his first time.
"This momentum is important for us. It will decide our future steps, whether we move forward or backward to the Suharto era," he added.
Subianto -- reported to model himself on the founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- is a businessman and heavily decorated lieutenant general, having headed the country's oppressive special forces under General Suharto 16 years ago, while Jokowi -- who resigned his post as mayor ofIndonesia's capital city Jakarta to run for president -- is a one time little-known furniture retailer, whose stock began to rise in 2005 when he became the mayor of the central Javanese city of Solo.
Sri Sulastri, 23, a shopkeeper in Surabaya, East Java, told AA he had travelled traveled for four hours by bus to vote in his hometown in Tuban Regency, a town in the same named province.
"I really hope the new leader can bring welfare to the people," she said.
The county's twice-elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono steps down in October after reaching the legal limit.
The electoral commission has registered 188.26 million domestic voters, with 478,883 polling stations set up in regions across the country.
The result is expected to be revealed later this evening.
www.aa.com.tr/en
