Jakarta, Apr 17 (IANS): Voters in Indonesia began voting on Wednesday as polling stations opened in the east of the vast archipelagic country to select a new president and members of the parliament.

Voters in the eastern province of Papua lined up to cast their ballots at 7 a.m., which is two hours ahead of Jakarta, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two-horse race presidential election pits incumbent President Joko Widodo against his populist challenger Prabowo Subianto.

President Widodo picks Muslim cleric Ma'aruf Amin as running mate, while rival former general Prabowo Subianto pairs with former businessman and deputy governor of Jakarta, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, according to the general election commission.

Widodo emphasises the importance of more economic stability and business friendly environment, while Probowo is apt to approach more protectionism to champion people's prosperity.

Meanwhile, over 245,000 candidates supported by 16 national political parties and four local parties are vying for more than 20,000 seats in the parliamentary elections during the the world's biggest single-day poll.