The Indonesian elections appear headed towards a September 20 run-off: With about 10 percent of the ballots counted by the election commission, Yudhoyono was leading Tuesday morning with 33 percent. Megawati was second with 27 percent and Wiranto had 23 percent. Election officials said they hoped to complete an informal canvass later this week. The relatively smooth conduct of the election, held at 575,000 polling stations on thousands of islands, marked a milestone for a country that emerged only in 1998 from 32 years of autocratic rule under President Suharto. The vote was Indonesia's first direct election for its leader... Yudhoyono, 54, had been a strong favorite to win the race ever since he bolted from Megawati's cabinet in March, complaining he had been slighted by the president and her influential husband. He was considered a firm and thoughtful leader by many Indonesians, and his resignation earned him widespread sympathy among a public irritated by the perceived arrogance of Megawati and her inner circle. Yudhoyono, in his position as chief security minister, had established a working relationship with U.S. and other foreign leaders in confronting terrorism. Some critics called him indecisive, but diplomats said the retired general, if elected, would likely heighten Indonesia's determination to address Islamic extremism. ...If Megawati fails to make the second round, it would set up a showdown between retired generals, which could raise the fears of some Indonesians that the military is planning to reassert control over the country's politics. So far, most of the concern has centered on Wiranto, who has been indicted on charges of crimes against humanity by a U.N.-supported tribunal in connection with a 1999 wave of militia violence in East Timor.