JAKARTA, Sept 20: An urbane former general who promises to fight terror and clean up government headed for an overwhelming victory against incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia's first direct presidential election on Monday.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Megawati's one-time chief security minister, had 59.5 per cent of ballots with a quarter of the vote counted, the election commission said. She had 40.5 per cent.

A coalition of independent survey groups projected Yudhoyono would win 61.2 per cent, with Megawati getting 38.8 per cent according to a sample taken from across the world's most populous Muslim nation. Some 151 million people were eligible to vote and turnout was estimated at 80 per cent.

Showing the caution that has led many to predict he lacks the boldness to tackle Indonesia's chronic problems, Yudhoyono refused to get carried away by the projections.

At a brief late night news conference, a stern-faced Yudhoyono insisted he was not making a victory speech. When photographers urged him to shake his running mate's hand, Yudhoyono said: "No. People will think we feel we've won." But Yudhoyono did reach out to Megawati, who in public has barely acknowledged him since he quit her cabinet in March after a bitter row over his presidential ambitions.

"It is time for reconciliation," Yudhoyono said in English. "I acknowledge during this competition that there is distance between the supporters of Megawati and myself. I expect we have to be more united in the near future to face the national challenge of building a better Indonesia."

Monday's run-off capped a draining election season in Indonesia that began with parliamentary polls in April. The direct ballots - a rarity in the Muslim world - showed Indonesia's democracy has matured six years since the downfall of long time strongman Suharto and after predictions of violence between rival party supporters proved unfounded. -Reuters