The outcome of the legislative election could be crucial to President Megawati Sukarnoputri's hopes of keeping her job in the country's first direct presidential vote in July.

Opinion polls have shown Golkar likely to replace Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) as the biggest party in the 550-seat parliament, with discontent over lacklustre growth, high unemployment, rising prices and corruption.

"I hope that Golkar wins the election because I hope that my younger sisters will have a better fate than mine," said garbage collector Tatan Suparna. "Despite (Golkar) once having been a party of Suharto, at least education fees and the cost of living were lower then."

More than 147 million people in the world's third largest democracy were eligible to vote. Polls closed at 1 pm (0600 GMT) and first results were expected Monday evening.

Suspected separatist rebels in Aceh province shot and injured two civilians in an attack on a polling station in Bireuen district, local police said. They said shots were fired in the air to intimidate voters elsewhere in Bireuen, a rebel stronghold.