'Firecracker' lights up vote count

'Firecracker' lights up vote count

Kurniawan Hari and Evi Mariani, Jakarta

An explosion halted the finalizing of the presidential election
vote count by the General Elections Commission (KPU) for several
hours on Monday afternoon.

The "firecracker-like" explosion damaged a door, shattered
windows and punched a hole in the ceiling of a ladies restroom on
the first floor of the KPU building on Jl. Imam Bonjol. No
casualties were reported but heavy traffic congestion ensued on
the usually busy thoroughfare.

The KPU announced the results of the July 5 election later in
the evening. It was the first explosion to mar the otherwise
peaceful election. A run-off election will now be held on Sept.
20 pitting Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono against President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that the
explosive consisted of potassium chlorate, which was often used
for making firecrackers.

"The device was not a bomb," he told the press after examining
the blast scene at the KPU offices.

Minor as the explosion was, it had high resonance as it went
off as the KPU was still finalizing the vote tally.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said that half-an-
hour before the blast an unidentified person had called the KPU
and said there was a bomb in the building.

The KPU staff member who received the call promptly informed
the police standing guard at the building, who then found a
cardboard box inside the ladies restroom at around 1:00 p.m.

"The box measured 10 x 15 x 10 centimeters," Firman said. "It
contained potassium chlorate, and there were no wires found in
the box."

The bomb squad was immediately alerted but the material
exploded five minutes later. The police, however, failed to
explain how the substance could have exploded spontaneously.

Firman said that the police had questioned six KPU employees
and two police officers as witnesses.

"We don't know the motive yet," Firman said when asked by
reporters.

He added that the police were responsible for security at the
KPU building.

"But the KPU staff considered the building to be a public
place so that people were free to come and go," he said. "We are
now in the process of tightening security here."

The building was closed for about two hours before it was
reopened again at 3:30 p.m.

Sarodi, a mineral water vendor, said that he was chatting with
acquaintances on the sidewalk in front of the KPU offices when
the explosion occurred.

"It sounded a bit like a steel cabinet had fallen over. The
ground didn't shake, or anything," he told The Jakarta Post.

Titin Zakiah, an official from the Aceh General Elections
Committee, said that she had just heard a bang, and that the
ground had not shook.