All election contenders conclude final preparations

All election contenders conclude final preparations

JAKARTA (JP): The race is on.

All raring to go, the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar
and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) completed yesterday
their final preparations for the nationwide election campaign
which kicks off today.

PPP's chairman, Ismail Hasan Metareum, is starting this
morning in Medan, North Sumatra, armed with speeches saying his
party will fight for democratization, social justice and rights.

In 1992 PPP won only 10.9 percent of votes in that province
which now has 6 million voters.

Golkar's chairman Harmoko, denying accusations that his
grouping had jumped the election starter gun, is starting in
Lebak regency, West Java.

Later in the afternoon, he will campaign in Jakarta with
several prominent Golkar members like Wardiman Djojonegoro,
Haryanto Dhanutirto, Rhoma Irama, Mar'ie Muhammad and B.J.
Habibie.

Another prominent Golkar face, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, will
campaign this morning in Semarang, Central Java -- a region which
Golkar has entrusted to her to cultivate over the past few years.

Her brother, Bambang Trihatmodjo, will campaign in Jakarta.

PDI's chairman, Soerjadi, will campaign in Pontianak, West
Kalimantan, and later on in Sambas regency, which was rocked
recently by ethnic violence.

Yesterday, Harmoko phoned around to check several Golkar
command posts across the country and inspected the command post
in North Jakarta's Kelapa Gading district.

"I'm satisfied because all of Golkar's cadres in Jakarta and
everywhere else in the country are physically and mentally ready
to start the election campaign," he was quoted by Antara as
saying.

He checked the various facilities for Golkar's campaign,
including telephones, walky talkies, banners and posters bearing
the group's symbol of banyan tree which were to be put up at
midnight.

"I want you all to comply to all of the campaign rules. Let's
make this campaign a beautiful and orderly one," he said.

Harmoko will campaign in two provinces a day during the 27-day
campaign.

PPP will campaign today in the provinces of Aceh, North
Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu,
Lampung, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and East
Timor.

Golkar members will operate in Jakarta, West, Central and East
Java, Yogyakarta, Maluku and Irian Jaya, while the PDI will
campaign in West, Central, South and East Kalimantan, and North,
Southeast, Central and South Sulawesi.

The three contestants will also campaign through public
gatherings, meetings, and through the state-owned television and
radio stations TVRI and RRI.

The 30-minute pre-recorded speeches will be aired and relayed
by the five private television station and radio stations across
the country, every day starting 7.30 p.m. tonight with the PDI.

PPP and Golkar will get their turn the following days.

This campaign will run until May 23. There will be a five-day
cooling off period, where campaigning is banned, before the May
29 poll.

The minister of home affairs, Moch. Yogie S.M, said last night
in a televised speech marking the election campaign's start that
the activities should be carried out in a way that served as
public political education.

He called on the three political contestants to obey the rules
and agreements already made and asked organizers to ensure the
campaign and election proceeded freely, confidentially and
correctly.

He reiterated that street rallies and convoys were banned to
prevent the public from behaving irrationally and excessively.

The use of "dialog campaign" -- which stresses dialog over
speeches, will help the political parties understand their
constituents aspirations, he said. (aan/swe)