Dozens of Gus Dur supporters maintain vigil outside palace

JAKARTA (JP): One day after the ousting of President Abdurrahman Wahid, the number of his supporters staging a rally in front of Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, dropped significantly on Tuesday.

Gus Dur's supporters, dwindled to only several dozen people, mostly from towns in East Java and Central Java.

The supporters, who were just sitting in the National Monument (Monas) Park, quickly joined hundreds of student groups when they arrived at about 4 p.m.

The students grouped under the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII), City Front, Bung Karno University, Collective Forum (Forbes) and Student Action Front for Reform and Democracy (Famred), repeated what they did on Monday. They staged a demonstration to support Abdurrahman's decision to dissolve the People's Consultative Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Golkar Party.

Abdurrahman's decree, which was issued early Monday, was rejected by the Assembly on the same day.

Using a loud speaker on a truck, the students also demanded the speeding up of the general election without Golkar's participation.

They deplored the former ruling party under former President Soeharto as well as the military for bringing the country into chaos.

The students reiterated that the Assembly Special Session, which installed Megawati Soekarnoputri as President to replace Abdurrahman, was a conspiracy of the New Order.

The rally ended after an hour as the students left the scene and Abdurrahman's supporters returned to the nearby park.

One of the supporters, Yono, from Gresik, East Java, pledged to continue the rally in front of the palace.

"We will stay here. I don't know when we will leave," Yono who, along with his friends, wore black clothes, said.

A spiritual leader was seen handing them some water to fortify their spirits.

The supporters, grouped under the White Tiger Force from Blitar, East Java, said the water made them immune to attacks.

On Monday, 2000 supporters joined a similar rally.

Meanwhile, Abdurrahman's picture was taken down from the walls of government offices, including those of the city administration, on Tuesday. (jun)