Golkar may hold gathering

Golkar may hold gathering

DENPASAR, Bali: Governor Made Dewa Beratha has said that,
contrary to recent speculation, his office had not rejected the
wish of the dominant Golkar to hold a mass gathering in the
province.

Antara quoted the governor on Thursday as requesting, however,
that the convention be postponed because the "situation on Bali
is not favorable at the moment".

He cited recent demonstrations by thousands of Hindus in the
province over an offensive remark made by State Minister of Food
and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin about their faith.

"Don't cause an extra burden (for the province) by making Bali
the venue (for a large political assembly)," he said. "Wait until
things return to normal."

Besides, "Golkar has not yet contacted me (to request
permission)", he added.

Bali earlier this month was the venue for a massive gathering
of supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI). Despite officials' initial jitters, the commercially
important tourist island carried off the event without a glitch.

Following harsh criticism over its refusal to apologize for
past political mistakes, Golkar stated it wish to hold large
gatherings to consolidate their supporters to face the general
election next year. (swe)