Protest heat up over Depok poll<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Tempers flared on Monday against the West Java High Court's
\nruling annulling the victory of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
\ncandidate Nur Mahmudi Ismail in the Depok mayoral election
\ndespite calls for peaceful protests.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 PKS supporters scuffled with police in front
\nof the Depok Council building on Monday as they tried to force
\ntheir way into the heavily guarded compound.<\/p>\n
The supporters, consisting of members of the PKS and several
\nother Islamic groups in Depok, arrived at the council building at
\n12:45 p.m. carrying banners and posters denouncing the court
\nverdict that declared Golkar Party candidate Badrul Kamal the
\nwinner of the June 26 Depok election.<\/p>\n
\"We want to confirm whether the council sent an official
\nletter to the West Java governor about the poll result and its
\nrecommendation to inaugurate Nur Mahmudi,\" Saleh, one of the
\nprotesters, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
After several minutes of consolidation, they started pushing
\npolice personnel guarding the building in an attempt to meet the
\ncouncillors.<\/p>\n
Fearing that the demonstrators would engage in anarchic acts,
\na group of police officers, who had been guarding the building
\nsince early morning, sealed off the entrance.<\/p>\n
Not wanting to give up, Nur Mahmudi's supporters pushed the
\npolice to force their way into the compound.<\/p>\n
The police, who appeared to be ordered to defend the doors,
\npushed back and it is likely a clash would have broken out
\nbetween the two sides had the councillors not announced that they
\nwere willing to meet with the protesters.<\/p>\n
Depok council deputy chairman Amri Yusra, who met the
\nprotesters, said that they were trying to find out whether the
\nletter had been received by the governor or not.<\/p>\n
\"We sent a letter on July 25. We don't know if the letter has
\nbeen received by the governor. We need time to examine where the
\nletter is,\" he told the crowd.<\/p>\n
Amri then read out a copy of the letter in front of the
\nprotesters.<\/p>\n
The letter asked the governor to notify the minister of home
\naffairs about the Depok poll result.<\/p>\n
After an hour of dialog, the protesters left the council
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
However, they gave the council three days to make sure the
\nletter was received by the governor.<\/p>\n
\"If within three days the council has not delivered the letter
\nto the governor, we will come again,\" protest coordinator Roy
\nPrygina said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/protest-heat-up-over-depok-poll-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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