Golkar criticizes anti-yellow drive<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior official of the ruling party Golkar
\ncriticized United Development Party (PPP) activists for resisting
\nthe Central Java government's "yellowization" policy.<\/p>\n
Rully Chaerul Azwar of Golkar's election strategy making body
\ncharged the PPP activists with "over-reacting" to the
\ngovernment's policy encouraging Golkar members in Central Java to
\npaint objects in public places yellow.<\/p>\n
Critics see the "yellowization" scheme as a covert election
\ncampaign by Golkar, whose color is yellow.<\/p>\n
Rully said yesterday the PPP activists, who repainted yellow
\nobjects white, had failed to distinguish between the local
\ngovernment's activities and those of Golkar.<\/p>\n
"The activists have shown their childish behavior and
\npolitical immaturity," Rully said. "By doing so, they have
\ndamaged the local government's policy," he added.<\/p>\n
A group of PPP cadres in Surakarta (Solo) displayed their
\ndisgust with the "yellowization" campaign by repainting the
\nyellow objects white, a supposedly neutral color.<\/p>\n
An angry Surakarta Mayor Iman Sutopo ordered them to repaint
\nthe facilities yellow or face legal consequences.<\/p>\n
Central Java governor Soewardi denied there were political
\nmotives behind the yellow policy. He said it was simply a
\npromotion of the province's mascot, the Black Naped Oriole bird,
\nwhich happens to be yellow.<\/p>\n
Rully said Golkar's central executive board has neither
\nencouraged nor prohibited their cadres from painting public
\nfacilities such as fences, sidewalks, electric poles and mosque
\ndomes yellow.<\/p>\n
"Our cadres in Central Java are so energetic that they paint
\npublic facilities yellow. It's good to have cadres like them,"
\nRully said.<\/p>\n
He denied the movement was a premature Golkar campaign in the
\nrun-up to the May 29 general election. The government has
\nscheduled the campaign period for between April 29 and May 23.<\/p>\n
"Our cadres do not break any election rules because they do
\nnot carry the symbol nor the code number of Golkar," Rully said.
\nGolkar, second in the official order of election contestants, is
\nsymbolized by the banyan tree.<\/p>\n
Contestant number one PPP is represented by a picture of a
\nstar and the third competitor, the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI), has opted for a picture of a bull's head.<\/p>\n
Rully suggested both the Surakarta mayoralty and the PPP
\nactivists settle their dispute through deliberations. "Judicial
\nproceedings should be the last resort," he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy chairman Din Syamsuddin agreed with Rully on the
\nneed for prompt solution. Separately, he told reporters that if
\nconflicts over the "yellowization" broke out, both PPP and Golkar
\nwould lose out.<\/p>\n
"This should be solved soon. Otherwise there could be 'war'
\nbetween Golkar and PPP and in this situation it will be the other
\npolitical party that will benefit," he said, apparently referring
\nto the conflict-ridden PDI.<\/p>\n
Escalation<\/p>\n
The anti-yellow campaign continued in Surakarta yesterday and
\nis expected to escalate throughout Central Java province.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of PPP's Central Java branch Thoyfoer
\nyesterday allowed party cadres of the province to keep the show
\ngoing, but asked them to maintain law and order.<\/p>\n
However, the police have yet to take steps against the
\nmovement. Central Java police spokesman Lt. Col. Bardja said that
\nthe authorities did not consider the activists were disrupting
\npublic order.<\/p>\n
"The police will step in if the public raise complaints,"
\nBardja said.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, thousands of PPP supporters reportedly threatened
\nto close their accounts in city-owned Bank Pembangunan Daerah
\n(BPD) Jateng in response to the bank's publication of yellow
\ncalendars.<\/p>\n
PPP's Central Java branch secretary Harminto said he welcomed
\nthe "capital flight". "The faster the better (to withdraw cash).
\nThere are many banks which are more professional than BPD,"
\nHarminto said. (har\/amd\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-criticizes-anti-yellow-drive-1447893297",
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