Violence reigns ahead of election day<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police proved their early warning of
\nintensifying violence ahead of Monday's elections worth listening
\nto on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
While Yogyakarta remained tense following a recurred clash
\nbetween supporters of United Development Party (PPP) and
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), a fresh
\nbrawl involving sympathizers of the two parties and the national
\nMandate Party (PAN) flared up in the Central Java border town of
\nKlaten on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In Ambon, Maluku, religious conflicts resurfaced before and
\nafter a Muslim-based PPP campaign, with the party supporters
\npelting public transportation vehicles believed to carry
\nChristians and vice versa.<\/p>\n
Campaigning in the capital and the country's second largest
\ncity Surabaya was undisturbed with no acts of violence but
\ntraffic congestions.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi said Tuesday the final
\nround of campaigns, which started on Monday, would be vulnerable
\nto unrest because all the 48 contesting parties would be
\nstretched to the limit in high spirit to win people's hearts.<\/p>\n
Police also revealed that 174 people had died in clashes and
\ntraffic accidents during street rallies since the campaign season
\nkicked off on May 19.<\/p>\n
At least five people suffered severe stab wounds and 15 others
\nwere slightly injured in separate clashes in Klaten on Wednesday.
\nOne of them, 16-year-old Daryanto, was still in a coma after his
\nneck was stabbed.<\/p>\n
Deputy head of the local PAN branch, Fahrudin, said Daryanto,
\na junior high school student, was attacked by PPP supporters
\nwhile he was playing soccer in a pitch near his home in Puluhan
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
\"Today's clash must have something to do with the previous
\nincident between supporters of PAN and PPP on Saturday,\" Fahrudin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Daryanto was being treated at Islamic Hospital along with his
\nfriend Wawan, 14, and Megel villagers Alfian, 19, Safrudin, 30,
\nand Saifullah, 27.<\/p>\n
Following a campaign rally in Pedan district, PPP supporters
\nwere split into several groups of convoys. Clashes erupted in
\nMegel, Kurung, touted as a PDI Perjuangan stronghold, Puluhan,
\nTempursari and Ngaran villages. At least 17 houses in the
\nvillages were attacked.<\/p>\n
Police fired three warning shots to disperse PPP supporters
\nwho tried to force their way to Tempursari village, which PAN
\nclaimed to be one of its strongholds in the regency.<\/p>\n
Klaten police chief Lt. Col. Mustofa Hari Kuncoro was not
\navailable for comment.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, hundreds of PDI Perjuangan supporters attacked
\na command post belonging to PPP on Jl. Wachid Hasyim in
\nretaliation to overnight clashes that injured six people, mostly
\nPDI Perjuangan sympathizers.<\/p>\n
Angry PPP supporters took revenge by pelting the house of PDI
\nPerjuangan activist, Acun Hadiwijoyo, in Notoprajan subdistrict
\nnear Jl. Wachid Hasyim.<\/p>\n
Riot police, who were deployed to restore order, fired several
\nwarning shots, but resorted to shooting at the warring mobs after
\nthey ignored the warning. A PPP supporter, Istanto, 18, was shot
\nwith a rubber bullet to his thigh. He was rushed to nearby PKU
\nMuhammadiyah Hospital.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday night, leaders of the conflicting parties were
\nnegotiating a peaceful settlement.<\/p>\n
Delight<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, PAN chairman Amien Rais delighted hundreds of
\nthousands of party supporters who flocked the city's
\nthoroughfares on Wednesday in its last campaign.<\/p>\n
Main streets of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin changed into a
\nsea of blue, the color of the party, as the supporters from the
\ncity's five mayoralties flooded the streets and lingered at the
\nHotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Boarding three choppers, Amien and his entourage, who included
\njournalists, visited seven campaign sites in the neighboring West
\nJava towns of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi earlier in the
\nday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Pulomas horse racing course in East Jakarta, Amien
\nasked at least 10,000 supporters to flock the streets after his
\nspeech ended.<\/p>\n
\"I will talk only in three minutes. Let's change Jakarta into
\nblue. Let's go to the city's center... ,\" Amien told the
\nsupporters in a husky voice.<\/p>\n
Thousands of supporters of Justice Party, Crescent Star Party
\n(PBB) and Republican Party mingled with their PAN counterparts at
\nthe roundabout near Hotel Indonesia (HI) in the capital's heart.<\/p>\n
PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra joined a parade along Jl.
\nJendral Sudirman on an open-roof Volkswagen Safari at midday. The
\npresidential candidate waved his hands to the crowds and headed
\nto the HI circle before making a 10-minute oration.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, 85 legislative candidates representing PAN
\nintroduced themselves to the public by delivering speeches in the
\ncity's streets.<\/p>\n
Wearing the party's blue uniforms, the candidates spread
\nbrochures which stated their curriculum vitae.<\/p>\n
Back in Jakarta, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus
\nannounced that President B.J. Habibie would in the near future
\nissue a decree declaring the election day on Monday a national
\nholiday. (23\/44\/swa\/jun\/ind)<\/p>",
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