Parties to stop precampaigning<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Following the military's revelation that at
\nleast 10 people were killed in recent clashes among party
\nsupporters, leaders of the 48 political parties contesting the
\nJune 7 general election agreed on Tuesday to stop all precampaign
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached at about the same time the media was
\nreporting three people were killed in a clash allegedly involving
\nsupporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) and Golkar Party in Buleleng on the southern tip of
\nBali.<\/p>\n
Party leaders agreed to halt \"precampaign activities\", which
\noften included boisterous rallies, during a meeting here on
\nTuesday with the General Elections Commission (KPU), the National
\nElections Committee (PPI), Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid
\nand Minister of Defense and Security\/Indonesian Military
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto. Also attending the meeting were National
\nPolice chief Gen. Roesmanhadi and members of the Elections
\nSupervisory Committee and the Independent Elections Monitoring
\nCommittee.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said that since March more than 50 people were
\nseriously injured in 33 party clashes, while dozens of houses
\nwere damaged and hundreds of vehicles set on fire.<\/p>\n
\"There will be more victims if the precampaign activities are
\nnot stopped,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Absent from the meeting were leaders of a number of major
\nparties, including Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung, PDI
\nPerjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) chairman Amien Rais, United Development Party (PPP)
\nchairman Hamzah Haz and National Awakening Party chairman Matori
\nAbdul Djalil. They were represented by party executives.<\/p>\n
KPU chairman Rudini said after the meeting the agreement
\nbecame effective immediately after it was signed by all the party
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
\"With this agreement, all precampaign activities, including
\nparty gatherings and visits to regions by party leaders, are
\nprohibited,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said party leaders also agreed not to \"misuse\" Koranic
\nverses during the election campaign and promised to help educate
\nthe public about electoral rules.<\/p>\n
PPI chairman Jacob Tobing said party leaders and the KPU
\nagreed to authorize the Elections Supervisory Committee to
\nenforce the agreement and sanction parties which violated the
\nagreement and the electoral code of conduct.<\/p>\n
\"The Elections Supervisory Committee will start working as of
\ntoday to monitor... premature campaign activities and other
\nviolations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wiranto expressed hope the monitoring would prevent further
\nclashes among party supporters.<\/p>\n
\"The police will enforce the criminal code against individuals
\ninvolved in clashes among party supporters while the Elections
\nSupervisory Committee will enforce the 1999 law on general
\nelections and the electoral code of conduct, sanctioning parties
\nwhose supporters are involved in violence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also urged political parties to take measures to reduce the
\npotential for unrest during the campaign period, scheduled for
\nMay 19 to June 4.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said it would be impossible for the nation to hold a
\nfree and fair general election if the situation was not secure,
\nadding that existing military and police personnel were not
\nenough to guarantee security during the elections.<\/p>\n
\"How can we make the elections free and fair if the people are
\nafraid of violence, feel terrorized and intimidated,\" he asked.<\/p>\n
He said the police would set up joint command posts with
\npolitical parties to deal with violence and promised \"speedy
\ntrials\" would be held to process violations committed by parties
\nand their supporters.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi said some 127,000 police officers and 600,000
\nmembers of the civilian militia (Kamra) and the civilian defense
\n(Hansip) would be deployed to maintain security during the
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Bali<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Nasser Amir, chief of the Buleleng Police
\nin Bali, told The Jakarta Post by phone: \"Three people were
\nkilled (on Monday) from slash wounds suffered during the fighting
\nin Ingsakan village.\"<\/p>\n
Nasser said the police were questioning 13 people over the
\nincident and three platoons of security personnel had been
\ndeployed to the area.<\/p>\n
He said supporters of Golkar Party and PDI Perjuangan might
\nhave been involved in the clash.<\/p>\n
\"The supporters of those parties live side by side in the
\nvillage. They are neighbors, so for the time being it could be
\nthought that they might have been involved in the clash,\" Nasser
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Two cars and five motorcycles were burned during the brawl,
\nwhich erupted after a neighborhood security post in this village
\nin the northern subdistrict of Banjar was pelted with stones, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
People from the villages of Pedawa, Sidatapa, Banjar and
\nCempaga, all in the Banjar subdistrict, were involved in brawls
\nin December last year which left nine people dead and dozens of
\nhouses damaged. The clashes involved supporters of Golkar and PDI
\nPerjuangan. (rms\/byg)<\/p>",
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