Pro and anti-Abdurrahman street rallies continue<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Street rallies conducted by pro and anti-
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid supporters continued in some cities
\non Monday amid debate about the effectiveness of such political
\nmaneuvers, which could lead to physical clashes among the masses.<\/p>\n
In the Central Java capital of Semarang some 20,000 supporters
\nof the President, mostly followers of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
\nand National Awakening Party (PKB), held an istikhotsah (mass
\nprayer) at the town square in the district of Watucongol,
\nMagelang, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman chaired the NU for 15 years, before being elected
\nPresident in 1999, and was the founder of PKB.<\/p>\n
Participants in the mass prayer came from the regencies of
\nBoyolali, Semarang, Demak and Salatiga.<\/p>\n
Officials from the provincial administration were also in
\nattendance.<\/p>\n
Led by dozens of ulemas, the prayers expressed hope that
\nAbdurrahman would retain the presidency until 2004.<\/p>\n
They also prayed that the nation's unity would survive the
\nlooming threat of disintegration.<\/p>\n
The event coordinator, Abdul Kadir Karding, who is also
\nsecretary of the PKB's Central Java chapter, said that the mass
\nprayer was an expression of the people's concern about the
\ncurrent situation in the country.<\/p>\n
"At the grass roots level people have been killing each
\nother," he said, referring to the recent ethnic cleansing
\nmassacre in Central Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
"At the top level, the political elites have also been
\nattacking each other," he added.<\/p>\n
Following the mass prayer, the participants left the square,
\nchanting pro-Abdurrahman slogans.<\/p>\n
The night before, as many as 1,000 children of Christian and
\nMuslim orphanages in Semarang held a joint prayer for the safety
\nof the country.<\/p>\n
A. Suhari, the coordinator, said that the children wished that
\na miracle would occur in the country, saving it from dangers
\nposed by the unresolved crises.<\/p>\n
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, some 500 students
\ngrouped in the Bung Hatta University's Student Executive Board
\n(BEM) took over the state Radio Republik Indonesia studio to air
\ntheir stance against the President.<\/p>\n
The students also seized the photographs of Abdurrahman
\ndisplayed in government offices and entered the Singgalang and
\nPadang Express editorial offices to confiscate pictures of the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
The rally began with speeches at the Bung Hatta University
\ncampus in the morning, after which the protesters traveled around
\nthe city on six public buses.<\/p>\n
Some of them got off the buses and entered the provincial
\nlegislative council building to remove all pictures of the
\nPresident from the building's walls.<\/p>\n
All of the actions culminated in the occupation of RRI.<\/p>\n
In Palembang, South Sumatra, on Monday, at least 300 people
\nfrom various universities and organizations prohibited
\nAbdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid from setting foot on Palembang soil
\nbefore he quit his post.<\/p>\n
The students also called on all offices to remove
\nAbdurrahman's pictures from their walls.<\/p>\n
Protesters of the Sriwijaya University's BEM, the Muhammadiyah
\nUniversity, The Moslem University and the Indonesian Muslim
\nStudents Association (HMI) marched to the provincial legislature
\nand read out six demands, including the prohibition of Gus Dur
\nfrom visiting Palembang and removal of the President's
\nphotographs.<\/p>\n
They threatened to stage larger protests if their demands are
\nnot met. (har\/28\/33\/ylt\/sur)<\/p>",
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