Abstainers may reach 60%: Gus Dur
<p>Abstainers may reach 60%: Gus Dur</p><p> YOGYAKARTA: Former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
forecast on Saturday that the number of people likely to abstain
from voting in the second round of the presidential election on
Sept. 20 could be as high as 60 percent.</p><p>"Based on an analysis by my staff, the number of poll
abstainers will rise significantly, reaching 50 percent to 60
percent," said Gus Dur, who is also the chief patron of the
National Awakening Party (PKB).</p><p>He refused to comment on whether the elected president would
be perceived as having little legitimacy due to the huge number
of abstentions, but said he would continue not to vote in the
runoff. --JP</p><p>
;JP;NFK;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-worker-deportation
More workers arrive from KL
JP/4/scene26</p><p>More workers arrive from KL</p><p> SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The deportation of Indonesian
workers from Malaysia has continued, with 1,000 to 3,000 arriving
every day in Nunukan regency, East Kalimantan, a local official
said on Saturday.</p><p>"The workers arriving are not only those deported but also
others wanting to arrange the extension of their immigration
documents," said Kasmir Foret, the Nunukan deputy regent, who
also serves as the task force coordinator for the problems
associated with returning workers. </p><p>He said, however, the arrival of illegal workers would cause
serious worries if they reached 5,000 or more per day and that
should major influxes begin, his administration would ask the
provincial and central governments to help deal with the problem. </p><p>The Malaysian authorities said recently they would soon deport
hundreds of thousands of illegal workers from abroad, including
Indonesia. --JP</p><p>;JP;NFK;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-Israel-Palestine
Suicide bombings less effective: Awwad
JP/4/scene</p><p>Suicide bombings less effective: Awwad</p><p> BOGOR: Suicide bombings by Palestinians are not so effective
as a means of putting pressure on Israel but Palestinians will
continue the fight against occupation by the Jewish state,
Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Ribbi Y. Awwad has said.</p><p>He said Palestinian fighters dared to take deadly risks by
perpetrating suicide bombings because all other routes to the
achievement of independence had been closed off by Israel and the
United States.</p><p>"We have been in this difficult condition for more than 100
years. The U.S. president should stand up for just one minute and
tell Israel to end its occupation of Palestine," Awwad said after
a discussion in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday. --JP</p>
forecast on Saturday that the number of people likely to abstain
from voting in the second round of the presidential election on
Sept. 20 could be as high as 60 percent.</p><p>"Based on an analysis by my staff, the number of poll
abstainers will rise significantly, reaching 50 percent to 60
percent," said Gus Dur, who is also the chief patron of the
National Awakening Party (PKB).</p><p>He refused to comment on whether the elected president would
be perceived as having little legitimacy due to the huge number
of abstentions, but said he would continue not to vote in the
runoff. --JP</p><p>
;JP;NFK;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-worker-deportation
More workers arrive from KL
JP/4/scene26</p><p>More workers arrive from KL</p><p> SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The deportation of Indonesian
workers from Malaysia has continued, with 1,000 to 3,000 arriving
every day in Nunukan regency, East Kalimantan, a local official
said on Saturday.</p><p>"The workers arriving are not only those deported but also
others wanting to arrange the extension of their immigration
documents," said Kasmir Foret, the Nunukan deputy regent, who
also serves as the task force coordinator for the problems
associated with returning workers. </p><p>He said, however, the arrival of illegal workers would cause
serious worries if they reached 5,000 or more per day and that
should major influxes begin, his administration would ask the
provincial and central governments to help deal with the problem. </p><p>The Malaysian authorities said recently they would soon deport
hundreds of thousands of illegal workers from abroad, including
Indonesia. --JP</p><p>;JP;NFK;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-Israel-Palestine
Suicide bombings less effective: Awwad
JP/4/scene</p><p>Suicide bombings less effective: Awwad</p><p> BOGOR: Suicide bombings by Palestinians are not so effective
as a means of putting pressure on Israel but Palestinians will
continue the fight against occupation by the Jewish state,
Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Ribbi Y. Awwad has said.</p><p>He said Palestinian fighters dared to take deadly risks by
perpetrating suicide bombings because all other routes to the
achievement of independence had been closed off by Israel and the
United States.</p><p>"We have been in this difficult condition for more than 100
years. The U.S. president should stand up for just one minute and
tell Israel to end its occupation of Palestine," Awwad said after
a discussion in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday. --JP</p>