PPP boycotts poll campaign<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The local United Development Party (PPP)
\nbranch boycotted its campaign yesterday to protest attacks by
\nGolkar supporters on two of its offices Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Local PPP supporters lowered the party's flags and removed
\nsigns and posters that had been erected for its campaign in this
\nancient city.<\/p>\n
\"Let Golkar be satisfied by campaigning on its own,\" the
\nbranch's deputy secretary, Suwandi Danusubroto, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The removal of party signs began amid tension at 10 p.m.
\nWednesday. By 1 a.m. yesterday, yellow was the only color
\ndominating the town.<\/p>\n
In Kotagede, in the southeast of the town which is a
\nstronghold of the Moslem-based PPP, about 1,000 angry PPP
\nsupporters and sympathizers demolished sidewalk flowerpots and
\nroadside lamps, set up roadblocks with logs and stones and burned
\ntires Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
\"We're ready to become martyrs,\" said a man in the crowd which
\nprotested until dawn yesterday. Scores of soldiers and riot
\npolice stood by on alert while the people vented their anger.<\/p>\n
In neighboring Kauman, PPP supporters demonstrated their
\ndisillusion by displaying white coffins inscribed with \"Democracy
\nis dead\".<\/p>\n
An effigy clad in the party's green was hung by the neck in
\nKuncen subdistrict.<\/p>\n
PPP branch chairman Alfian Darmawan said the party would no
\nlonger campaign because it wasn't safe.<\/p>\n
\"The decision will mean that we only campaigned here once, on
\nApril 29,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alfian said the attack on the party's branch offices on Jl.
\nVeteran was just one of the destructive acts by Golkar security
\nguards.<\/p>\n
Alfian said PPP official Siswo Atmodjo was tortured by Golkar
\nsupporters when he was alone in his office Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"I have witnesses willing to testify,\" Alfian said.<\/p>\n
Local Golkar chapter official GPBH Joyokusumo said Golkar
\ncould not be automatically held responsible for the incident,
\narguing that the perpetrators might not be Golkar supporters.<\/p>\n
\"We'll go over it first, and will take firm action against
\nthose involved,\" he told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
Head of the local Election Supervision Committee office,
\nAsrief Adam, also promised to find out who was behind the
\nincident.<\/p>\n
District Military chief Col. Abdul Rahman Gaffar said security
\nwould be guaranteed in the next campaign rounds here. He
\nregretted the PPP's decision to boycott the campaign.<\/p>\n
The tension remained yesterday with several armored vehicles
\nstationed around the town.<\/p>\n
Posters and banners were hung around the damaged branch
\noffices on Jl. Veteran, some challenged Golkar supporters to
\nfight.<\/p>\n
A scuffle between PPP and Golkar supporters broke out late
\nWednesday in Pekalongan, a town on the north coast of Central
\nJava, leaving eight people injured and a government office and
\nother buildings and vehicles damaged and burned.<\/p>\n
The clash erupted after PPP supporters saw Golkar supporters
\nremoving PPP flags from a roadside.<\/p>\n
It took military and riot police until 2 a.m. yesterday to
\ndisperse the fighters with tear gas.<\/p>\n
District Military Chief Lt. Col. Tri Haryono said seven people
\nhad been arrested for inciting the clash.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman lamented the violence, saying that all three
\nparties had agreed to abide by the election rules.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is known as a religious, courteous and civilized
\nnation. Why can't we control our temper and behave properly?\"
\nSoesilo said. He said the campaign should not be stopped because
\nof the violence.<\/p>\n
The Election Supervision Committee's chairman, Singgih, said
\nyesterday that all three parties had broken campaign rules and
\nhis office would punish them.<\/p>\n
\"If violations happen, we'll take action against them,\" he was
\nquoted by Antara as saying in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan,
\nwhere he was monitoring the campaign. (38\/har\/mun\/aan\/imn\/amd)<\/p>\n
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