'Mega-Bintang' banners banned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government banned yesterday banners and
\npictures which suggest a coalition of deposed Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri and the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) during the campaign.<\/p>\n
General Elections Committee's chairman, Moch. Yogie S.M., told
\nreporters yesterday that the banners and slogans breached
\nelection rules and an agreement among the three parties
\ncontesting the May 29 poll.<\/p>\n
Yogie briefed reporters after a meeting with Attorney General
\nSinggih, in his capacity as chairman of the Election Supervision
\nCommittee, Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen.
\nSyarwan Hamid and representatives of the three parties. They
\nevaluated the second week of the campaign in the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"I declare that people are not to use those banners. We never
\nrecognize any party but the three poll contestants,\" Yogie said.<\/p>\n
Banners and yells in support of Megawati have become the
\nhighlight of many PPP rallies since the party's Surakarta,
\nCentral Java, branch chief Mudrick Setiawan Sangidoe met her last
\nweek to seek her blessing for many of her local loyalists who
\nwanted to join the PPP.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who insists that she is the legitimate PDI
\nchairwoman despite a government-backed congress that reinstated
\nSoerjadi at the party's helm, is not allowed to stand for
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The Soerjadi-led PDI faction, the PPP and Golkar will vie for
\n425 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives. The other 75
\nseats are reserved for the military, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
Singgih confirmed the ban. He said election rules said that
\ncampaign banners should carry the party's programs or themes and
\nmust be approved by police.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said the security forces would seize banners or T-
\nshirts and ban chants in support of the \"Mega-Bintang\" alliance.
\nMega is Megawati's nickname and bintang or star is the PPP's
\nsymbol.<\/p>\n
Syarwan urged the PPP to persuade Megawati loyalists not to
\njoin its rallies if they insisted on wearing or carrying the
\nbanned slogans.<\/p>\n
\"I call on them (Megawati supporters) not to display the
\noutlawed banners in the next rally,\" Syarwan said.<\/p>\n
He refused to speculate on who was behind the emerging
\nalliance, but said the security forces would closely look into
\nit.<\/p>\n
PPP deputy chairman Djufri Asmoredjo, who attended the
\nmeeting, said the use of Megawati's name at the party's recent
\nrallies had been spontaneous.<\/p>\n
Cancellation<\/p>\n
Thousands of Megawati loyalists showed off their numbers
\nyesterday in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, in an across-the-city
\nconvoy, which forced local pro-Soerjadi PDI officials to cancel
\ntheir rally.<\/p>\n
About 200 people had gathered for the rally, under tight
\nsecurity for fear that Megawati loyalists would attack.<\/p>\n
The Megawati loyalists' convoy proceeded peacefully, partly
\nbecause of persuasion from Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, the Wirabuana
\nmilitary commander overseeing Sulawesi, and South Sulawesi Police
\nchief Brig. Gen. Ali Hanfiah.<\/p>\n
Violations<\/p>\n
Yogie urged the parties again yesterday to stop their illegal
\nstreet rallies.<\/p>\n
\"The street rallies are on the increase despite the ban, not
\nbecause we tolerate them doing so but because we lack the
\nsecurity guards to stop them,\" Yogie said.<\/p>\n
\"It's not our responsibility alone (to stop street rallies),
\nbut all of us, including the poll contestants,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Street rallies have claimed at least 39 lives since
\ncampaigning officially began on April 27.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said that traffic law violations were the most common
\noffenses committed by the supporters of all three parties during
\ncampaigning. He said more security personnel could be deployed
\nfor the remaining 11 days of campaigning.<\/p>\n
Bogor Mayor Edi Gunardi announced yesterday that children
\nwould be banned from street rallies in the mayoralty. An 18-year-
\nold man died and five others were injured Sunday in a PPP street
\nrally there.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, chief of the Siliwangi regional military command,
\nMaj. Gen. Tayo Tarmadi, said five people had been killed, six
\nseriously injured and 74 slightly injured in traffic accidents
\nduring campaigning in the province of West Java.<\/p>\n
In Padang, West Sumatra, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum
\nasked the government to stop requiring bureaucrats to help Golkar
\nwin the election.<\/p>\n
In Pamekasan, East Java, Golkar leader Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
\ncontinued to try to solicit support from influential ulemas
\nyesterday, while in Langsa, Aceh, PDI chairman Soerjadi called
\nfor the abolition of \"feudalistic practices\" within the
\nbureaucracy. (amd\/ahy\/30\/37\/imn\/nur)<\/p>",
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