Golkar criticizes anti-yellow drive
JAKARTA (JP): A senior official of the ruling party Golkar criticized United Development Party (PPP) activists for resisting the Central Java government's "yellowization" policy.
Rully Chaerul Azwar of Golkar's election strategy making body charged the PPP activists with "over-reacting" to the government's policy encouraging Golkar members in Central Java to paint objects in public places yellow.
Critics see the "yellowization" scheme as a covert election campaign by Golkar, whose color is yellow.
Rully said yesterday the PPP activists, who repainted yellow objects white, had failed to distinguish between the local government's activities and those of Golkar.
"The activists have shown their childish behavior and political immaturity," Rully said. "By doing so, they have damaged the local government's policy," he added.
A group of PPP cadres in Surakarta (Solo) displayed their disgust with the "yellowization" campaign by repainting the yellow objects white, a supposedly neutral color.
An angry Surakarta Mayor Iman Sutopo ordered them to repaint the facilities yellow or face legal consequences.
Central Java governor Soewardi denied there were political motives behind the yellow policy. He said it was simply a promotion of the province's mascot, the Black Naped Oriole bird, which happens to be yellow.
Rully said Golkar's central executive board has neither encouraged nor prohibited their cadres from painting public facilities such as fences, sidewalks, electric poles and mosque domes yellow.
"Our cadres in Central Java are so energetic that they paint public facilities yellow. It's good to have cadres like them," Rully said.
He denied the movement was a premature Golkar campaign in the run-up to the May 29 general election. The government has scheduled the campaign period for between April 29 and May 23.
"Our cadres do not break any election rules because they do not carry the symbol nor the code number of Golkar," Rully said. Golkar, second in the official order of election contestants, is symbolized by the banyan tree.
Contestant number one PPP is represented by a picture of a star and the third competitor, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), has opted for a picture of a bull's head.
Rully suggested both the Surakarta mayoralty and the PPP activists settle their dispute through deliberations. "Judicial proceedings should be the last resort," he said.
Golkar deputy chairman Din Syamsuddin agreed with Rully on the need for prompt solution. Separately, he told reporters that if conflicts over the "yellowization" broke out, both PPP and Golkar would lose out.
"This should be solved soon. Otherwise there could be 'war' between Golkar and PPP and in this situation it will be the other political party that will benefit," he said, apparently referring to the conflict-ridden PDI.
Escalation
The anti-yellow campaign continued in Surakarta yesterday and is expected to escalate throughout Central Java province.
Deputy chairman of PPP's Central Java branch Thoyfoer yesterday allowed party cadres of the province to keep the show going, but asked them to maintain law and order.
However, the police have yet to take steps against the movement. Central Java police spokesman Lt. Col. Bardja said that the authorities did not consider the activists were disrupting public order.
"The police will step in if the public raise complaints," Bardja said.
In Semarang, thousands of PPP supporters reportedly threatened to close their accounts in city-owned Bank Pembangunan Daerah (BPD) Jateng in response to the bank's publication of yellow calendars.
PPP's Central Java branch secretary Harminto said he welcomed the "capital flight". "The faster the better (to withdraw cash). There are many banks which are more professional than BPD," Harminto said. (har/amd/imn)