Golkar pledges orderly campaigns

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar, which the government has reprimanded for rowdy convoys, pledged yesterday to win public sympathy by campaigning orderly.

Golkar Chairman Harmoko said Golkar, which has been in power since 1971, would depend on indoor rallies with limited audiences rather than massive street rallies.

"Discussions in indoor rallies allow Golkar to communicate its programs that aim to improve people's welfare," Harmoko told a press conference at the party's headquarters.

Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) were reprimanded by the Election Supervision Committee chief, Singgih, Monday for breaching rules in the first week of campaigning.

Singgih said the most common violations, which all three parties had committed, were street convoys and the removal of rival party flags.

Harmoko, the information minister who has firm control on local media, said: "Golkar has observed that the public prefers orderly indoor discussions to street shows of force."

Despite the Election Supervision Committee's reproach and Harmoko's pledge, thousands of Golkar supporters roamed the streets in convoy here yesterday.

Their motorcades caused a traffic gridlock around Jl. Panjang, West Jakarta. Thousands of supporters, yelling slogans and waving banners, also poured into the streets in Rawamangun, East Jakarta. They ran red lights, forcing motorists to give way to them.

In Yogyakarta, government officials confirmed yesterday that a member of Golkar's Cakra security force had died Monday after being attacked by strangers.

Death

Abu, 46, died in hospital shortly after the attack, which is believed to be linked to Cakra's April 30 attack on two PPP offices in Yogyakarta.

PPP lawyer Herman Abdurrachman said yesterday that it would be "premature" to suspect a connection between the attack on the party offices and Abu's death.

He said he was sure that no PPP activists were involved in Abu's death, which he blamed on "irresponsible people" wanting to create chaos.

Yogyakarta Sultan Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X appealed for calm yesterday and reminded the three parties that campaigning was not war but a way to exercise democracy.

The sultan said the murder should be considered a criminal case to be handled by police.

Harmoko said that supporters of the three parties should campaign cool-headedly and listen to party policies.

"Golkar members should refrain from being stirred into doing something that could cause trouble."

The campaign officially began April 27 and will end May 23. There will be a five-day cooling-off period before election day on May 29.

Harmoko praised police and the army for securing Golkar's campaign activities in Jakarta and the provinces.

In the Central Java town of Tegal, Golkar deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana praised Moslem ulemas for helping develop Golkar.

"Golkar is the way it is now thanks to the ulemas' role," she told thousands of Golkar supporters at a rally.

Hardiyanti, President Soeharto's eldest daughter, also called Tutut, said that Golkar would seek to abolish school fees for elementary and senior high school students.

"One of Golkar's concrete programs is to abolish school fees so that every citizen has access to education," she was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

Elementary and high schools in Tegal were closed early yesterday because teachers and students went to Golkar's campaign grounds. (pan/23)

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