Fearful city hides behind closed doors

Fearful city hides behind closed doors

JAKARTA (JP): Business activities slightly stirred in the
capital on Thursday after the previous day's violent clashes
between security troops and supporters of Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) prompted many businesses to
close their doors.

Following the victory of Megawati in the afternoon, hundreds
of her supporters flooded the main streets of the capital in the
evening to celebrate her triumph.

City workers were busy removing garbage and debris from
vandalized public facilities, such as flower pots, electric
poles, traffic lights and tollbooths, since the early hours of
the day.

The clashes on Wednesday following the defeat of PDI
Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri in the presidential
election left a great number of public facilities on the city's
main roads damaged by mobs.

The Jakarta administration estimated the financial loss at
about Rp 1.25 billion.

Many streets had returned to normal by midday, although the
flow of traffic was lighter than normal.

The favorable mood continued into the night when Megawati was
elected vice president.

At the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, City
Park Agency employees lifted damaged plants onto a truck.

Wiganda, one of the employees, said the plants would be
replanted and returned to health in an area along Jl. Barito in
South Jakarta.

"We will probably reuse the plants later on," he said.

Some shops and offices, such as those at the busy Tanah Abang
market in Central Jakarta and along Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Jl.
Sudirman and Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta where violence
was witnessed, were, however, still closed on Thursday.

Some shop owners at Tanah Abang textile market decided to
close their doors early, worrying that Megawati supporters would
run amok again if she lost the vice presidential race on
Thursday.

Damages from Wednesday's clashes included 10 burned or damaged
cars, two burned tollbooths near the Semanggi cloverleaf, six
damaged trees and four vandalized public telephone booths.

Governor Sutiyoso stated on Thursday that the administration
would not immediately repair the damaged facilities nor remove
the banners and flags of PDI Perjuangan scattered around the
Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

"We will wait until the situation is calmer," he said.
(ind/jun/asa)