Soerjadi faces strife in E. Java<\/p>\n
JEMBER, East Java (JP): Soerjadi, chairman of the government-
\nsanctioned faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), made
\nhis first campaign appearance in East Java yesterday, a
\nstronghold of ousted party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
His trip featured tight security with Megawati loyalists, in
\nsome places, trying to disrupt gatherings.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi told 1,000 supporters about his party's program,
\nwhile about 600 soldiers and riot police stood between them and
\n200 Megawati supporters.<\/p>\n
The Megawati supporters, mostly Madurese led by I Made Dangin,
\ndemanded that Soerjadi be barred from campaigning. They yelled
\nand swore at Soerjadi's rally.<\/p>\n
Jember police chief Lt. Col. Abdul Madjid Tawil and his
\nofficers eventually persuaded the Megawati supporters to leave.<\/p>\n
He said, \"I don't want to discuss this with you. I'm not here
\nbecause I support Soerjadi. I only maintain security. If you
\ninsist on entering (the rally grounds), then you're disturbing
\norder.\"<\/p>\n
Security was tight even before Soerjadi arrived in the city
\nwith troops stationed across the city.<\/p>\n
After the rally, Soerjadi left for Denpasar, Bali, another
\nMegawati stronghold.<\/p>\n
In North Jakarta, hundreds of Megawati supporters were broken
\nup by security personnel when they tried to disrupt a convoy of
\nSoerjadi supporters.<\/p>\n
Riding on two trucks and about 30 motorbikes, the Megawati
\nsupporters gathered about three kilometers from the PDI branch
\nheadquarters. They then went in convoy to the Soerjadi gathering
\nat a youth center in Tanjung Priok.<\/p>\n
They chanted \"Long life Mega\" all the way and waved the
\nparty's three-finger sign. Outside the youth center, they
\ndemonstrated and shouted \"Megawati is the people's voice\" and
\n\"Mega will win\".<\/p>\n
Dozens of security officers with shields and rattan sticks
\nherded the 150 people away from the center. North Jakarta Police
\nchief, Lt. Col. Rismawan, ordered Ida Mahfuda, a PDI North
\nJakarta leader and Megawati loyalist, to disperse the group.<\/p>\n
Ida agreed so long as the police guaranteed her followers
\nwould not be beating.<\/p>\n
\"You are just a woman and you try to defy us?\" Rismawan said.<\/p>\n
Laode, another Megawati supporter, told The Jakarta Post that
\nthe group had not acted for the Megawati faction because Megawati
\nhad instructed all her supporters to boycott the campaign.<\/p>\n
\"We only wanted to protest the campaign of Soerjadi's group.
\nWhat we want is no campaign in the PDI's name,\" he said.<\/p>\n
About 300 security officers guarded the center and check
\nanyone attempting to enter. A Megawati loyalist was denied entry.
\n\"From which PDI are you, do you have the invitation (to join the
\ncampaign)?\" a police said to him.<\/p>\n
In the easternmost province of Irian Jaya, thousands of PDI
\nsupporters rallied on the streets of Jayapura and Abepura cities.<\/p>\n
Violations<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said last night
\nthere had been 349 violations of campaign regulations in the
\nfirst eight days of campaigning.<\/p>\n
The violations varied from running traffic lights to throwing
\nstones at cars belonging to supporters of rival parties, Hamami
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
There had been 238 traffic violations, police spokesman Lt.
\nCol. E. Aritonang said. The other 111 violations were for taking
\nunder-age children to rallies and destroying and burning parties'
\nsigns.<\/p>\n
\"As many as 96 cases of violations were committed by the
\npeople who joined the PPP (United Development Party) campaigns,
\n54 in Golkar's campaigns and 68 in PDI campaigns,\" Aritonang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said 287 violators had been charged, but none were
\ndetained.<\/p>\n
Hamami said the situation in greater Jakarta was under
\ncontrol. \"I think the situation here is okay, but we are on
\nalert. If the situation worsens, we are ready to double our
\npersonnel,\" Hamami said.<\/p>\n
Some of the PPP's rallies were marred with violence yesterday.
\nIn Ujungpandang, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum addressed
\nthousands of supporters who then rampaged and vandalized
\nproperty.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, PPP supporters demonstrating a recent Golkar
\nattack on two of PPP local offices were forcibly dispersed by the
\nsecurity personnel. The supporters were carrying mock coffins
\ninscribed with \"death of democracy\".<\/p>\n
Two of the young supporters, many in sarong, were reportedly
\ninjured at 1 a.m. when the soldiers hit them with rattan sticks.<\/p>\n
The PPP had cancelled campaign in Yogyakarta and in Jakarta.
\nHowever, chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said the party will
\nresume campaign in Jakarta, Java provinces, Maluku and Irian Jaya
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
Golkar rallies had huge turnouts yesterday. Chairman Harmoko
\nsaid in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, that Golkar did not want
\ninstant, radical changes to the country's economic and political
\nsystems. (nur\/amd\/swe\/aan\/05\/cst)<\/p>\n
More stories on Page 2<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soerjadi-faces-strife-in-e-java-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }