Artists fail to boost Wiranto's rally

Artists fail to boost Wiranto's rally

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Medan/Palu/Yogyakarta

Beautiful starlets did their best to liven up the only open-air
rally of presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto in the capital
on Sunday, but the venue, the country's main sports stadium, was
left half-empty. The 100,000-seat Bung Karno Sports Stadium was
barely filled to half its capacity, despite appearances by
celebrities such as singer/film star Sarah Azhari and singer
Silvana Herman.

Gen. (ret) Fachrul Razi, deputy chairman of the Wiranto-
Solahuddin Wahid campaign team, admitted that the campaign fell
short of expectations. "The campaign is running well, but not
optimally. We hope it will improve," he said.

Solahuddin was absent but colleagues from the National
Awakening Party (PKB) such as Alwi Shihab showed support, as well
as party leaders Akbar Tandjung of Golkar, Ryaas Rasyid of the
United Democratic Nationhood Party (PDK) and Golkar campaign team
chairman Slamet Effendi Yusuf.

PKB has officially endorsed Wiranto and Solahuddin, a noted
cleric from the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul
Ulama, which forms the main basis of the party.

Apart from Wiranto, another presidential candidate, Vice
President Hamzah Haz, also staged a rally with relatively
fewer supporters compared with the party rallies during April's
legislative election campaign. Some have attributed Jakarta's
lack of enthusiasm partly to election fatigue.

On Sunday, some participants at Wiranto's rally acknowledged
they did not need to spend money on transportation and meals, and
got T-shirts free, too.

"I don't know if I'll get paid; a coordinator did list our
names before we left on buses," said Budi, from East Cengkareng,
West Jakarta.

Central Jakarta election supervisory committee official Dedi
Suhardadi said organizers had committed an offense because many
children were seen wearing symbols of the candidates. The
involvement of children in campaigns is not permissible under
campaign rules.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) candidate
Megawati Soekarnoputri urged supporters in Bantul, Yogyakarta on
Sunday to help them win in the July 5 election. Further
competition in a runoff, expected in September should no
candidate win a majority of the vote, would be energy-consuming,
she said.

Earlier in the day, she visited Yogyakarta's Beringharjo
market and chatted with farmers and fishermen "in her capacity as
president," handlers said. She left Yogyakarta in the afternoon
for similar activities in Madiun, East Java.

Also on Sunday, National Mandate Party (PAN) candidate Amien
Rais and his running mate Siswono Yudohusodo greeted supporters
in Medan, North Sumatra.

Thousands, including those from the Prosperous Justice Party
(PKS), showed support. The PKS leadership has yet to disclose
whether it will endorse Wiranto or Amien. Ikrimah Hamidy,
chairman of the PKS Medan chapter, said that PKS members in Medan
supported Amien and Siswono. Amien, a professor in international
relations, also met nearly 1,000 teachers in Medan.

In Palu, Central Sulawesi, Jusuf Kalla, running mate of
Democratic Party candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also
campaigned on Sunday. He visited Manonda market and talked with
traders, mostly of Bugis descent. Some vendors protested when
Kalla supporters stamped on their produce. "You can meet Pak
Kalla, but don't step on my tomatoes," a woman shouted.

Kalla then campaigned on air at public broadcasters TVRI
television and RRI radio stations. Addressing a rally at the
Vatulemo field, he said that being born in Sulawesi he knew best
the conditions in Sulawesi and eastern Indonesia.

Agum Gumelar, the running mate of Hamzah Haz, visited
Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Saturday and campaigned in the
regency of Jeneponto, some 120 kilometers south of Makassar.

He declined a request to sign a contract with locals, but
pledged that he would carry out his programs if elected. "Social
contracts" are becoming popular in a number of areas as a last
resort of citizens trying to ensure leaders fulfill promises made
during campaigning.