Military has evidence of plot to topple President<\/p>\n
BANDUNG(JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) claimed Saturday it had
\nevidence of a plot aimed at foiling the general election and
\ntoppling the President.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, ABRI's sociopolitical affairs chief,
\nsaid conspirators had infiltrated the election campaign to cause
\nchaos whenever they had the chance.<\/p>\n
People with vested political interests easily switched
\nallegiance to different political parties, he said.<\/p>\n
\"As election day nears, their actual mission is becoming
\napparent. In East Java and Jakarta, people attending a PPP
\n(United Development Party) campaign were found carrying a PDI
\n(Indonesian Democratic Party) flag with the communist symbol of a
\nhammer and sickle.<\/p>\n
\"A few days ago, Hamzah Haz (PPP deputy chief) and I found a
\nman attending a campaign carrying a banner with an inscription
\n'Power to the people',\" he told journalists.<\/p>\n
Syarwan declined to name names.<\/p>\n
Last week, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum was outraged by
\nanonymous leaflets which alleged he had conspired with ousted PDI
\nleader Megawati Soekarnoputri to topple Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Ismail told a press conference that the leaflets were
\nslanderous and aimed at destroying his and PPP's reputation. He
\nsaid he had asked that the incident be investigated.<\/p>\n
The leaflets, which feature Ismail's and Megawati's pictures,
\ncontain a seven-point demand: the replacement of President
\nSoeharto, abolition of political laws, an end to ABRI's dual
\nfunction doctrine (dwi fungsi), PDI and PPP representation in the
\ncabinet, lower retail prices, an end to corruption and monopoly,
\nand investigation into the President's and other senior
\nofficials' children's wealth.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said the circulation of such leaflets had been
\nanticipated by the authorities since news about a PPP-Megawati
\nalliance became an issue last week.<\/p>\n
\"The leaflets were made by people who do not want to see the
\nelection succeed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Syarwan, the authorities started an investigation
\ninto the printing of the leaflets by questioning the \"small
\nfish\", people who distributed them.<\/p>\n
In the next phase, the investigation will be directed at
\nfinding out who masterminded it, he added. \"We will not name
\nnames until we have sufficient evidence.\"<\/p>\n
Ismail had also denied that there was an alliance with
\nMegawati, and said his party was not seeking drastic reform
\nthrough a coup.<\/p>\n
He said he had never met Megawati in connection with the
\nalleged political coaliition, and that the PPP had never intended
\nto join a movement pushing for a drastic change of government.
\n\"We want democratic and constitutional change in the government,
\ninstead,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Accusation and counter-accusation had lately become the
\nhighlight of the campaign. PPP had for instance accused Golkar
\nand some regional bureaucrats of poll rigging attempt, a charge
\nwhich was immediately rejected by senior officials including
\nMinister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.<\/p>\n
Syarwan had at one stage even criticized Ismail for bringing
\nthe accusation to the press rather than reporting it to the
\nGeneral Elections Institute first. Ismail countered again saying
\nhe had already submitted a report to the Institute.<\/p>\n
More recently, PPP also accused a Ministry of Information
\nofficial of ordering staff living in West Java to apply for
\ntemporary identity cards in Jakarta. With the Jakarta identity
\ncard, employees would be able to vote twice.<\/p>\n
Tonny Soekaton, the official, dismissed the allegation and
\ncalled it slander. However, he had stated he would not sue the
\nPPP; he had, instead, reported the case to the Election
\nSupervision Committee.<\/p>\n
Jakarta governor Soerjadi Soedirdja, whose name was mentioned
\nin the PPP's accusation, also denied the allegation. The
\ninstruction, in the form of an inter-office circular, was meant
\nto encourage the ministry's employees to cast their votes near
\ntheir office, he said. (ahy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-has-evidence-of-plot-to-topple-president-1447893297",
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