Voters Turn Out in War-Weary Aceh

An Acehnese man rides his bike past a campaign sign for one of parties contesting the election on Sunday Dec. 10, 2006 in Banda Aceh Indonesia. Acehnese are gearing up for their first ever direct elections for provincial governor to be held Dec. 11 under an autonomy agreement reached with the Indonesian government after decades of armed conflict.(AP Photo/Ed Wray) (Ed Wray - AP)

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Voters in Aceh province took part Monday in elections seen as key to cementing a peace deal that ended a brutal 29-year war in the region worst hit by the 2004 tsunami.

Former separatist rebels and an ex-army general are among those vying for the top jobs of governor and deputy governor _ something unimaginable before the earthquake-spawned waves crashed into Aceh, killing an estimated 167,000 people and helping usher in a new era of peace.

"We have proved our commitment with lives, blood and tears," said Irwandi Yusuf, a former rebel political officer now considered one of the favorites for governor. "These elections are important for all off Aceh, for all (former) fighters and for the future."

Turnout was expected to be high among Aceh's 2.6 million eligible voters, but there were no lines at polling stations early Monday.

A "quick count" of votes from selected polling stations should allow accurate results to be known by later Monday. Official results will not be declared until Jan. 2. Most analysts expected none of the eight candidates for governor to win an outright majority, meaning the top two will face a run-off vote early next year.

"I'm excited to vote. But I really don't care who wins, as long as they make sure the peace holds," said Rosmini, 27, who goes by one name, knee-deep in mud as she harvested rice.

The oil-and-gas rich province on Sumatra island's northern tip has known almost nothing but war for 130 years, with its residents fighting would-be Dutch colonists, the Japanese and finally Indonesia's central government.

The war between the government and the rebels killed some 15,000 people and was marked by gross accusations of human rights abuses on both sides.

Several previous peace pacts aimed ending the rebellion had collapsed amid bitterness and distrust. But when insurgents returned to the negotiating table after the tsunami and signed an agreement with the government on Aug. 15, 2005, the desire to end the war appeared genuine.

Both sides made major concessions, with the rebels giving up their long-held demand for independence and quickly handing over their weapons, and the military pulling half of its 50,000-strong garrison from Aceh and promising the region control over 70 percent of its mineral wealth.

It also gave the former rebels, known locally as GAM, the right to take part in politics.

They will be among those running for governor, district chiefs and mayors on Monday.

"They traded in bullets for ballots," said Azwar Abubakar, the incumbent governor said Sunday. "And if GAM wins, well good for them. That's democracy. Everyone's ready to accept that."

But divisions between GAM's political "old guard," who spent much of the civil war in exile in Sweden, and younger combatants who stayed home and fought, are expected to severely reduce their chances, said Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.

If they cannot find a way to mend their differences soon, it also could effect their ability to transform into a viable political movement ahead of national elections in 2009 when provincial parliamentary seats will be at stake, she said.