Golkar upbeat on victory at polls<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents and onlookers jeered and stoned Golkar
\nsupporters during their final campaign rallies on Friday in
\nJakarta and several provinces. Despite the poor reception, party
\nchairman Akbar Tandjung and other Golkar officials expressed
\nconfidence of winning the elections.<\/p>\n
From a rash of incidents around the country, at least 11 were
\ninjured during a Golkar rally in Manado, North Sulawesi, when
\nsupporters of other parties pelted Golkar supporters and attacked
\nthem with sharp weapons.<\/p>\n
The assailants were from the National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nand the United Development Party (PPP), Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Riot troops fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.<\/p>\n
The injured were rushed to Malalayang and Pancaran Kasih
\ngeneral hospitals, Teling Military Hospital and Sitti Maryam
\nHospital in Manado and the GMIM Bethesda Tomohon Hospital in
\nMinahasa regency.<\/p>\n
In Senen, Central Jakarta, riot troops were forced to fire a
\nbarrage of warning shots following the burning of a motorcycle
\nbelonging to a Golkar supporter and dozens of flags after Golkar
\nsupporters became embroiled in an altercation with residents.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of shops in the area immediately closed and traffic
\nwas disrupted during a standoff lasting about five hours.<\/p>\n
The clash began at about 1 p.m. when residents, including
\nstreet traders, booed passing Golkar convoys.<\/p>\n
"Long live Golkar!" Golkar supporters shouted to residents,
\nwho retorted "Long live Mega" in reference to Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Ironically, the dispute broke out as a giant screen atop the
\nnearby Atrium Senen shopping center displayed the image of
\nMegawati, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
Golkar supporters on motorcycles then challenged residents and
\nvendors by raising their fists.<\/p>\n
Residents retaliated by smashing windows of two minibuses
\npacked with Golkar supporters, causing them to flee in panic as
\nthey discarded their yellow T-shirts. Locals made bonfires of the
\nclothes and Golkar flags.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said the
\nincident unfurled from a motorcyclist baiting the residents,
\nwhich led them to set his vehicle on fire. The rider fled.<\/p>\n
People also stoned Golkar motorcades passing through Bendungan
\nHilir and around the Welcome Statue traffic circle in Central
\nJakarta and Jembatan Besi in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Despite the warning shots, residents only started to disperse
\nwhen heavy rain fell and after Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen.
\nNoegroho Djajoesman arrived at the scene at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
The calm was broken later when residents chased a jeep bearing
\nGolkar flags.<\/p>\n
The arrival of members of the mobile brigade force restored
\norder, but tension simmered again when dozens of members of the
\nIslamic Defender Front (FPI) appeared, carrying machetes and
\nwearing green turbans.<\/p>\n
Campaigning in Sunter, North Jakarta, and Slipi, West Jakarta,
\nAkbar said Golkar would at least do as well as in past elections.<\/p>\n
From 1971 to 1997, Golkar won every general election by a
\nlandslide.<\/p>\n
Previous Golkar rallies at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle
\nran smoothly along with other parties, including the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Union Party (PUDI), the Peace Loving Party (PCD) and
\nthe People's Sovereignty Party (PDR).<\/p>\n
At the same spot, PDR supporters were seen distributing Rp
\n20,000 bills and T-shirts to people, including street vendors.<\/p>\n
Supporters including dozens of motorcycle taxi drivers yelled
\n"Adi Sasono!" and distributed fliers showing the minister of
\ncooperatives and small enterprises as PDR's presidential
\ncandidate. A driver of a bajaj (motorized three-wheeled vehicle)
\nsaid he was given Rp 40,000 to join the PDR rally.<\/p>\n
Akbar stressed on Friday at party headquarters that the
\nnomination of incumbent B.J. Habibie as the party's sole
\npresidential candidate was final despite criticism from within
\nthe party.<\/p>\n
They warned that Habibie's nomination would discourage voters
\ndue to his alleged foot-dragging in the investigation of alleged
\nunscrupulous practices by former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
"Golkar will fight for Habibie's reelection in the General
\nSession of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)" in November,
\nAkbar said. Golkar deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman has voiced
\nsupport for Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
Akbar played down speculation of a split in the party's board
\nof executives. "Once consolidation is achieved, all Golkar
\nmembers will comply with (Habibie's nomination)."<\/p>\n
Evaluating the election campaign which ended on Friday, Akbar
\nsaid there was a plot to foil a Golkar victory.<\/p>\n
"All intimidation during our campaigning was not spontaneous,
\nbut engineered," he said, citing provocation of people who pelted
\nGolkar supporters.<\/p>\n
He also claimed that Chinese-Indonesians, still traumatized
\nfrom the devastating riots of May 1998, received threats that
\nthey would again be targets of violence if Golkar won.
\n(imn\/ind\/jun\/edt)<\/p>",
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