With more than 59 million votes counted, over half the total, Golkar had narrowly overtaken the National Awakening Party (PKB). The Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP) OF Megawati Sukarnoputri remained the strong leader with 21,534,360 votes, 36.4 per cent of those votes.

Golkar had 10,723,780 votes, or 18.1 per cent, and the PKB backed by moderate Muslim leader Abdurrahman `Gusdur' Wahid was third with 10,711,941 votes.

The Muslim United Development Party (PPP) remained fourth with 9.8 per cent of the votes and the National Mandate Party (PAN) of reform leader Amien Rais trailed in fifth place with 6.7 per cent.

A parallel unofficial tally from the joint media operations centre put Golkar in second place more than a week ago. The latest results from the unofficial tally had some 88,869,756 votes counted, about 80 per cent of the expected total.

Itplaced PDIP first with 30,517,991 votes or 34.3 per cent, Golkar second with 19,556,382 votes, 22 per cent, and the PKB with 10,851,585 votes, 12.2 per cent.