Jakartans relieved by safe campaign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakartans breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday
\nas the first week of campaigning here came to an end with no
\nsigns of the violence and unrest that so many people in the
\ncapital expected.<\/p>\n
With last year's May riots fresh in their minds, plus the
\nspate of unrest which has hit other parts of the country ahead of
\nthe election period, many businesses in the capital erected
\ntowering iron fences around their buildings.<\/p>\n
Such fears have proved groundless. A number of businessmen
\ntold The Jakarta Post they were no longer afraid of street
\nrallies staged by supporters of parties contesting the June 7
\npolls. Their only headache was the traffic jams which resulted
\nfrom convoys of party supporters.<\/p>\n
Aming, the owner of Pelangi Audio electronics in Glodok, West
\nJakarta, said he reopened his shop on Friday last week, the third
\nday of the campaign.<\/p>\n
\"I decided to resume business after I saw how things were
\ndeveloping,\" Aming, whose shop was burned down during last year's
\nriots, said.<\/p>\n
He said he still felt anxious when large numbers of party
\nsupporters took to the streets in convoys of cars and
\nmotorcycles.<\/p>\n
The Elections Supervisory Committee announced on Tuesday the
\ncampaign was generally secure, despite several skirmishes
\ninvolving supporters of rival parties.<\/p>\n
Anton, the owner of a furniture shop on Jl. Pramuka in East
\nJakarta, said he read the campaign schedule in the newspaper
\nevery day so he would know whether a party with a large number of
\nsupporters would be campaigning in the city.<\/p>\n
\"I informed all my customers that when a large party was
\n(campaigning) in town, deliveries would be made early in the day
\nor after the campaign activities because I don't want to risk
\nbeing trapped in traffic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Apart from delivery problems, however, his business is running
\nsmoothly during the campaign, he said.<\/p>\n
Amidah, a food stall owner in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, and
\nChandra, the owner of a shop in the Harco Glodok electronic
\ncenter in West Jakarta, were of the same opinion.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that we will always have a secure campaign,\" Chandra
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Calm<\/p>\n
The city was relatively calm on Wednesday, although thousands
\nof supporters of the National Awakening Party (PKB), clad in
\ntheir green and white T-shirts, took to the streets in buses,
\ncars, trucks and motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Compared to Sunday, when tens of thousands of Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) supporters flooded
\nthe city in an ocean of red, Wednesday's street rallies were
\nsubdued.<\/p>\n
PKB presidential candidate Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as
\nGus Dur, and PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil addressed thousands
\nof supporters in West Jakarta and East Jakarta, respectively.<\/p>\n
While Abdurrahman reiterated his call for former president
\nSoeharto to return his family's alleged wealth, Matori said PKB
\nwould form a coalition with parties which opposed B.J. Habibie's
\npresidential bid.<\/p>\n
\"Like his mentor Soeharto, Habibie is still practicing
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism. Habibie should withdraw,\"
\nMatori said.<\/p>\n
\"The replacement of four deputy attorney generals shows that
\nHabibie is trying to cover the (Soeharto) case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, at least 1,000 supporters of the Indonesian Muslim
\nParty (PUMI) attended an outdoor rally at Pegadungan soccer field
\nin West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Workers Party (PPI) and the All-Indonesian
\nWorkers Solidarity Party (PSPSI) held campaign rallies at
\nCengkareng stadium and Grogol stadium, respectively. Hundreds
\nattended each of the rallies.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PKB secretary-general Iskandar Muhaimin said his
\nparty had held further discussions on an agreement on extra votes
\nwith the National Mandate Party (PAN) and PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
\"We will draw up the details of the agreement in the next few
\ndays. But, of course, it is just the three of us and not PPP (the
\nUnited Development Party) or the Justice Party,\" Iskandar told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party, the Justice Party and the
\nNational Mandate Party signed a joint communique to take a united
\nstance against pro-status quo forces, following a similar
\nagreement between PKB, PAN and PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
Separately, PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri said an
\nagreement on extra votes had been reached with PKB and now they
\nwere discussing the matter with PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
\"We are to share leftover votes in all 27 provinces to enable
\none of us to gain extra seats in the House of Representatives,\"
\nFaisal said. (ind\/jun\/edt)<\/p>",
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