Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri is trailing badly in vote counting a day after a landmark election but will not concede or make a public comment until all ballots are counted, a senior aide said today.
The official result is not expected until October 5th.
The aide's comments came after Ms Megawati met with top officials of her Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) to discuss the tally, which shows her well behind her rival by 20 percentage points with 60 per cent of the vote counted.
"The official line will be delivered when the KPU (election commission) announces the result on October 5. Before that, we will not issue a stance," the party deputy secretary general said.
The official count shows Ms Megawati's former chief security minister, ex-army general Ms Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, with 60 per cent to Ms Megawati's 40 per cent.
The choice not to comment contrasts with the approach taken by Mr Yudhoyono and marks a return to Ms Megawati's media-shy past after a brief flurry of public appearances ahead of the vote.
Analysts say her aloofness during three years in power played a role in her downfall.
Mr Yudhoyono has yet to declare victory, but has already held several news conferences and begun work on a new cabinet. He has also expressed a desire to heal a rift with his former boss, sparked when he quit her cabinet in March over his presidential ambitions.