The last day of official campaigning for parliamentary elections is under way in Indonesia, BBC reported.
Thirty-eight national parties are contesting the polls, with more than 170 million people eligible to vote.
The campaign has reached its peak just as the impact of the global financial crisis is being felt by voters.
But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has nevertheless managed to pull off a last-minute surge in popularity for his Democrat Party and himself.
As Indonesia's political parties have tramped up and down the country over the past few weeks, their election promises have often had a similar ring - more jobs, more money, a better life for everyone.
But on the other side of the campaign trail, voters have been feeling the impact of the global slowdown a little more each month.
With exports falling, investment slowing and predictions for growth shrinking all the time, ordinary families here are - finally - starting to feel the pinch.
This should have the incumbent government quaking in its boots. But Mr Yudhoyono's Democrat Party is riding high in the polls, with about a quarter of the vote, 10 points ahead of its nearest rivals.
Sunny Tanuwidjaja, a political analyst with the think-tank CSIS, says the economic crisis has actually helped the president - known by his initials SBY.
"Going back to the early period of last year, the economy was doing pretty OK compared to today and SBY's popularity was actually declining," he said. "But today the economic conditions are much worse and his popularity is double, and probably will triple.
"The reason is that because of this crisis he has been able to efficiently utilise state funding with the justification that people in this economic crisis need this direct cash assistance from the government, and this policy has increased his popularity significantly."
The economic crisis has also helped by reducing the price of oil. Indonesia's own declining production means it is now an oil importer, so it is saving money.
There were painful moments when prices went through the roof last year. But now the president - and his party - can look good by lowering the prices again.
Sunny Tanuwidjaja believes they are extracting every drop of political goodwill out of it.
"He was the first one who has reduced it three times. In my opinion, this is part of his strategy - he did not reduce it all at once but bit by bit," he said.
"That of course not only tripled your votes, but it will increase your vote much more when you reduce it and then stop and then wait until another moment and reduce it - people love it."
This election was always going to be largely about money. Both the economy and the familiar problem of corruption are big voter issues here.
The global slowdown has stalked this campaign from the beginning. Which party it bites at the ballot box will become clear on Thursday.
The last day of official campaigning for parliamentary elections is under way in Indonesia.
Thirty-eight national parties are contesting the polls, with more than 170 million people eligible to vote.
The campaign has reached its peak just as the impact of the global financial crisis is being felt by voters.
But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has nevertheless managed to pull off a last-minute surge in popularity for his Democrat Party and himself.
As Indonesia's political parties have tramped up and down the country over the past few weeks, their election promises have often had a similar ring - more jobs, more money, a better life for everyone.
But on the other side of the campaign trail, voters have been feeling the impact of the global slowdown a little more each month.
With exports falling, investment slowing and predictions for growth shrinking all the time, ordinary families here are - finally - starting to feel the pinch.
This should have the incumbent government quaking in its boots. But Mr Yudhoyono's Democrat Party is riding high in the polls, with about a quarter of the vote, 10 points ahead of its nearest rivals.
Sunny Tanuwidjaja, a political analyst with the think-tank CSIS, says the economic crisis has actually helped the president - known by his initials SBY.
"Going back to the early period of last year, the economy was doing pretty OK compared to today and SBY's popularity was actually declining," he said. "But today the economic conditions are much worse and his popularity is double, and probably will triple.
"The reason is that because of this crisis he has been able to efficiently utilise state funding with the justification that people in this economic crisis need this direct cash assistance from the government, and this policy has increased his popularity significantly."
The economic crisis has also helped by reducing the price of oil. Indonesia's own declining production means it is now an oil importer, so it is saving money.
There were painful moments when prices went through the roof last year. But now the president - and his party - can look good by lowering the prices again.
Sunny Tanuwidjaja believes they are extracting every drop of political goodwill out of it.
"He was the first one who has reduced it three times. In my opinion, this is part of his strategy - he did not reduce it all at once but bit by bit," he said.
"That of course not only tripled your votes, but it will increase your vote much more when you reduce it and then stop and then wait until another moment and reduce it - people love it."
This election was always going to be largely about money. Both the economy and the familiar problem of corruption are big voter issues here.
The global slowdown has stalked this campaign from the beginning. Which party it bites at the ballot box will become clear on Thursday.