Bandung awash in a sea of red

BANDUNG: The ban on street rallies issued by the Election Supervisory Committee went unheeded on Thursday.

The city was awash in a sea of red, the color of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), when thousands of its supporters took to the streets.

Also campaigning on Thursday were the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), the New Masyumi Party, the Indonesian United Islam Party (PSII), the Indonesian National Party-Marhaen (PNI-Massa Marhaen) and the Abul Yatama Party.

PDI Perjuangan fielded Mangara Siahaan, one of its deputy chiefs, as its campaigner.

Separately, Siliwangi Military Regional Command chief Purwadi that said to reinforce security during the campaign period he had deployed another 3,000 troops across West Java.

"We hope people will not easily be instigated by people who want to stir up unrest," he told journalists. (43)