Army troops not wanted

Army troops not wanted

PALU, Central Sulawesi: Leaders of four political parties in the province have rejected the presence of Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) troops sent in to secure election campaigns in Poso.

The political parties say the presence of troops is inconsistent with their agreement to secure their campaign activities by themselves.

They argued that the troops would cause a sense of fear among the public.

The four political parties which reject the troops are the Indonesian Democratic Union Party, the Democratic People's Party, the Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party and the Islamic Community Party.

Mohamad Taufik, chairman of the local Indonesian Democratic Union Party, said the presence of Army troops would scare people, especially at night.

The soldiers have been deployed at strategic places and streets across the town, Antara reported.

Meanwhile, Pose Police chief Lt. Col. Deddy Woeryontono said he was unaware of the political parties' objections.

Poso and Palu have been identified as the most vulnerable to rioting during the election campaigns. (pan)