Activists told to ignore summonses

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: The chief of the Jakarta-based Legal Aid Institute Foundation, Bambang Widjojanto, said yesterday that the independent poll watchdog's local activists should ignore police summonses.

Bambang said the police had no legal grounds to question the unrecognized Independent Election Monitoring Committee's activities.

"The police have no reason for questioning the activists," Bambang told journalists after installing A. Mappinawang as the chief of the institute's Ujungpandang chapter.

The police questioned Adnan Buyung Azis and Amiruddin of the poll watchdog's local branch on suspicion that they had held an illegal meeting before the May 29 election.

Police have issued summonses to two other activists. One of them, Nasiruddin Pasigai, has refused to appear before the police. (37)