Golkar claims Bung Karno, too

Golkar claims Bung Karno, too

DENPASAR: Golkar campaigners here say they, too, have the
right to tout pictures of founding president Sukarno, or Bung
Karno, because "he belonged to all Indonesians rather than only
to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)".

Ida Tjokorda Pemecutan told a gathering of thousands of Golkar
supporters in Karangasem on Sunday evening that Golkar needed to
learn from past mistakes of both Soeharto and his predecessor,
first president Sukarno.

"There are always positive sides to every leader's regime," he
said, as quoted by Antara, in the regency 90 kilometers east of
here. "Let's call a spade a spade."

It was also reported that following the gathering, the Golkar
supporters were intercepted on their way back to Denpasar by a
group of PDI Perjuangan supporters in Ulakan, about 20 kilometers
away from Karangasem.

The PDI Perjuangan supporters accused Golkar of ruining one of
their flags. The Golkar supporters detoured and took another
route to Denpasar.

Antara also reported that four people were injured in a clash
between Golkar and PDI Perjuangan supporters in Sesetan
subdistrict, South Denpasar, on Saturday.

Local police spokesman Major Y. Suyatmo said on Sunday the
four victims were rushed to a hospital in Denpasar. He said the
incident broke out on Saturday when a convoy of PDI Perjuangan
supporters passed the house of a local Golkar figure, Wayan
Chandra, where many party supporters had gathered.

There were no details of how the clash broke out, but the
injured were identified as Agus, 18, I. Made Ngurah Sulang, 29,
Andre Ade K., 29, and Wayan Natih, 24, who came off their
motorcycles and were beaten up. (swe)