Crowd boos Mega miscue in Mataram

Crowd boos Mega miscue in Mataram

Trisna Wahyuni/Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post,
Mataram/Jakarta

Who says Indonesian voters are not educated or mature enough to
be able to distinguish what is right and what is wrong?

Thousands of people in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) booed
presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri Saturday when she
erroneously mentioned that Lombok was part of East Nusa Tenggara
(NTT) province.

"Thank you very much. I'm very happy to come to Lombok
in...(long pause)...East Nusa Tenggara," Megawati said with
confidence at the beginning of her campaign speech, to which the
audience responded by booing.

Apparently, Megawati did not hear the whispers of her aides
around her who told her that Lombok was located in NTB. She did
not correct herself.

Megawati, the incumbent President, was accompanied by and
entourage that included daughter Puan Maharani and Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) executive Pramono Anung.

In her speech, Megawati mostly focused on farmers urging them
to do careful market research.

From Mataram, Megawati and her group flew to Kupang, NTT for
another campaign stop.

A similar blunder for the Megawati camp took place there,
where campaign rally participants shouted in protest when the
leader of the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), Ruyandi Hutasoit,
incorrectly stated that Megawati's running mate was Hamzah Haz.

"Let's all support the Mega-Hamzah pairing for our president
and vice president," said Ruyandi, to which the audience shouted
in protest, Antara reported.

Unlike Megawati, however, Ruyandi rectified his mistake by
saying: "Let us support the Mega-Hasyim pairing as president and
vice president."

Hamzah Haz is Megawati's current vice president and is running
for president after being nominated by the party he leads, the
United Development Party (PPP).

Aside from Megawati and Hamzah, other candidates in the July 5
direct presidential election are Wiranto of the Golkar Party,
Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and frontrunner
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party.

Amien and running mate Siswono Yudohusodo visited troubled
Aceh amid tight security on Saturday for a number of campaign
stops.

They were accompanied by Amien's campaign team members
including campaign manager Bambang Sudibyo, PAN secretary-general
Hatta Rajasa, PAN deputy leader A.M. Fatwa, Reform Star Party
(PBR) leader Zainuddin MZ, Socialist Democratic Labor Party
leader Mochtar Pakpahan and Freedom Bull National Party leader
Eros Djarot.

Amien and Siswono visited a traditional Aceh market and had
lunch with local pedicab drivers. At Bathoh Muhammadiyah
University, Amien delivered a speech on cultural values.

Wiranto, meanwhile, held a series of campaign rallies in West
Java. He was accompanied by his wife Rugaiya Usman and Golkar
leader Akbar Tandjung.

Akbar, who lost to Wiranto at the party's presidential
convention in April, commanded all party members to vote for the
Wiranto and his running mate Solahuddin Wahid.

"I order all Golkar organizers in West Java to support Wiranto
and Solahuddin Wahid," Akbar said in Bandung, West Java.

In Jakarta, Susilo visited a public market and a bus station
in North Jakarta and asked several questions to people about
their problems in life, in a relatively quiet setting without the
huge crowds.

Susilo's running mate, wealthy businessman and former Golkar
presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla, made a campaign stop in
Samarinda, East Kalimantan, where he was greeted by approximately
1,500 people.