Campaign kicks off with parade<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Campaign teams for all five presidential candidates are scheduled
\non Tuesday to deploy around 50 floats, including buses and
\ntrucks, during a parade to kick off the election campaign period
\nthat will last until July 1.<\/p>\n
The vote will take place on July 5.<\/p>\n
All the parade vehicles will depart from the National Monument
\n(Monas) park and take Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman and will
\ndisperse at the Semanggi cloverleaf and head to separate areas.<\/p>\n
Commuters are worried that the parade will cause traffic tie-
\nups because it will be held during peak hours -- 8:45 a.m to 2
\np.m.<\/p>\n
Prior to the parade, the five presidential candidates along
\nwith their running mates are expected to put their names on a
\nplaque that reads: \"Ready to Accept Victory or Defeat\".<\/p>\n
A General Election Commission (KPU) member, Hamid Awaluddin,
\nsaid on Monday that the plaque was a symbol of all candidates'
\nreadiness to support efforts to create peaceful conditions
\nbefore, during and after the election.<\/p>\n
\"It (the signing) will also send a message to the public...
\nthat the campaign will not turn into a forum where the candidates
\nare given a chance to insult and denounce one another,\" Hamid
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The plaque will be placed in Monas park.<\/p>\n
Chairman of KPU Jakarta Muhamad Taufik said that all the
\ncandidates had expressed their readiness to take part in the
\ncampaigning.<\/p>\n
\"All the candidates, including President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, will participate in the parade,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara said
\nthe force have prepared 16,000 personnel to secure the campaign
\nand the election day.<\/p>\n
Makbul is optimistic that the campaign and the election would
\ngo on smoothly although there will be three major events in the
\ncapital in June: Qualifying matches for 2006 World Cup finals,
\nthe Jakarta Fair and the Asia-Pacific Foreign Affairs Ministerial
\nMeeting.<\/p>\n
Because of the parade, motorists are advised to seek
\nalternative routes to avoid being trapped in traffic.<\/p>\n
During the legislative election campaign in March, most of the
\npolitical parties ended up deploying more vehicles than their
\nlimit of five, causing serious congestion in parts of the city.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's parade participants will gather in Monas at 8 a.m.
\nto listen to speeches, witness the plaque signing and listen to a
\nprayer led by noted Muslim cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar before
\nbeginning the parade through town.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/campaign-kicks-off-with-parade-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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