Comedians and starlets to kick off campaign

Comedians and starlets to kick off campaign

JAKARTA (JP): Political parties contesting the June 7
elections kick off the campaign period on Wednesday, with some of
them using the charms of Indonesian starlets to lure voters,
while others are pledging modest rallies.

"Our party will feature, apart from party members, renowned
artists such as comedian Tjahyono and the TV film starlet
popularly known as Miss Meong, Rieke Dyah Pitaloka," National
Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil said on Tuesday.

Other artists to take part in the PKB campaign will include
singers Endang S Taurina, Hetty Koes Endang and movie actors Muni
Cader and Fuad.

PKB chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur,
will travel to Banda Aceh in the troubled province of Aceh,
Sumatra, on Wednesday, Matori said.

Abdurrahman is scheduled to visit Medan, the capital of North
Sumatra on Thursday before returning here on Friday.

Matori himself will start campaigning in Yogyakarta on May 20.
He is set to visit the West Java capital of Bandung on May 25
returning to Jakarta on May 26.

Abdurrahman, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the 35 million-
strong Muslim organization, has expressed a wish to appear in a
joint campaign with chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Up until today we haven't set a schedule for the two leaders
to have a joint campaign," said Matori.

Another Muslim-based party, the United Development Party
(PPP), will also feature actresses when it holds an election
rally in Palembang, South Sumatra. Film stars Ayu Azhari and
Mieke Wijaya will accompany PPP chairman Hamzah Haz there.

National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais is set to
take a rest after attending party gatherings in the West Java
towns of Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bandung on Tuesday.

"Pak Amien left right after the signing of the joint
communique with Megawati and Abdurrahman in the early hours of
Tuesday," said PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri.

Further details of the campaign are yet to be made available
and will be discussed on May 22, a PAN staff member said.

There are no details of campaign schedules of PDI Perjuangan
chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and chairman of the ruling
party Golkar, Akbar Tandjung, for Wednesday.

The Crescent Star Party (PBB) pledges to hold a modest
campaign. "Well, we are such a serious party that we're not going
to educate people with performing comedians," M.S. Kaban, PBB's
secretary-general, said.

PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra is scheduled to campaign in
Yogyakarta on Wednesday. "Yusril will visit Aceh on June 1 along
with the popular musician group Bimbo," Kaban said.

Chairman of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) Edi Sudrajat
will start his campaign in Bogor and Bandung, West Java.

"PKP will have a smart, voter-education crusade rather than a
dangdut campaign," PKP's Sutradara Gintings, said. (edt/aan)