'Public will judge' govt's reaction to PPP's protests<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party's (PPP) secretary-
\ngeneral said yesterday the public would judge the government by
\nits response to growing protests over vote-rigging and election
\nirregularities.<\/p>\n
"People will just judge for themselves if the government
\ndecides to ignore the blatant and shameless election fraud,"
\nsecretary-general Tosari Widjaya said.<\/p>\n
"Let's wait and see how the government will respond to our
\nparty's protests," he said.<\/p>\n
Tosari told The Jakarta Post that, despite earlier protests,
\nmost of the party's chapter and branches had indicated that they
\nwould endorse the election results.<\/p>\n
The party is expected to announce a final decision on
\nendorsement in the next few days.<\/p>\n
"Our latest stance is to strongly protest (the alleged rigging
\nand cheating)," Tosari said, referring to a statement of protest
\nissued at the end of the party's three-day leadership meeting
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
The statement said this year's election had been marred by
\n"vote-buying, intimidation, mental and physical terror as well as
\nother widespread blatant and shameless violations and fraud".<\/p>\n
The central board's leaders have called on chapters and
\nbranches nationwide to take legal and political action against
\nelectoral fraud, which was allegedly mostly committed by local
\nelectoral committees.<\/p>\n
"Politically, we've threatened not to sign the poll's final
\nresults and not follow the election's next phases. We are also
\npreparing lawsuits against violators," Tosari said.<\/p>\n
But he was pessimistic about the outcome of legal action. "We
\nrealize we can not rely 100 percent on court settlements," Tosari
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
All PPP chapters and branches, except the West Sumatra chapter
\nand the branch in riot-stricken Sampang on Madura island, East
\nJava, had agreed to sign the final results in their areas, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The high-profile PPP Jakarta chapter, which has threatened not
\nto sign final election results because of alleged widespread
\nvote-rigging and irregularities, would sign next Monday, its
\nchairman Rusjdi Hamka said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Rusjdi denied the stance was an anticlimax, saying the chapter
\nwould proceed with legal action against alleged violators.<\/p>\n
The West Sumatra PPP chapter's chairman, Darmadi, said
\nyesterday his chapter would not sign "until the last minute". The
\nchapter is protesting the local electoral committee's decision to
\ndismiss its demand for a revote.<\/p>\n
"Our choice not to sign will stand. We're sending a message to
\nthe government that we, the religious and democratic West
\nSumatrans, cannot tolerate fraud," Darmadi told the Post.<\/p>\n
"The (PPP in) West Sumatra lost two seats at the House of
\nRepresentatives because of the widespread fraud in the province.
\nHow can we accept it?" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the West Sumatra chapter's refusal to sign would
\ncause the loss of PPP seats in the House, PPP deputy chairman
\nHamzah Haz said: "Not necessarily."<\/p>\n
"The central board will summon (Darmadi) and ask him to
\nexplain why the chapter insists on not signing," Hamzah said.<\/p>\n
He said the central board had the authority to "instruct"
\nparty chapters to accept election results. On Wednesday, the
\nparty's central executive board issued a statement indicating
\nthat it would let branches and chapters decide their own stance.<\/p>\n
The deadline for signing final election results in regencies
\nwas yesterday. It is June 17 for provincial results and June 24
\nfor national results. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-will-judge-govts-reaction-to-ppps-protests-1447893297",
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