PPP protests over threat<\/p>\n
SURABAYA: The local chapter of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) has lodged a complaint with the government, protesting the
\nvillage chiefs' intimidation of its party activists in Madura
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
Party chapter chief Syumli Syadli said that the protest was
\nfiled with the local and national office of the general election
\ncommittee as well as governor Basofi Sudirman.<\/p>\n
The incident happened when Torjunan village chief Mansyur
\nforcibly dispersed and threatened PPP leaders gathered in
\nSampang, Madura, with a machete.<\/p>\n
Under the Indonesian political system, all government
\nofficials are supporters of the Golkar party, which, along with
\nthe PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), will contest
\nthe general elections next year.<\/p>\n
Mansyur also forced the PPP leaders to sign a statement which
\nasked them to promise to retract a report that the local election
\nofficials had failed to register 500 PPP supporters.<\/p>\n
Syumli criticized the police, who were present when the
\nincident was taking place, for not intervening and stopping the
\nvillage chief.<\/p>\n
\"Their inaction could create a bad impression about the police
\nforce as a whole,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He charged that the village chief meant to sabotage the 1997
\ngeneral election. \"He was trampling the rules,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sampang is a PPP stronghold in East Java. The incident
\nprompted Sampang regent Col. Fadhilah Budiono on Tuesday to
\nsummon influential Moslem preachers to help calm the town.
\n(15\/pan)<\/p>",
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