Golkar supporters attack PPP offices
Golkar supporters attack PPP offices
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Two groups participating in a Golkar rally
vandalized two United development Party (PPP) offices and injured
one person here yesterday, a local party official said.
The incidents marred Golkar's otherwise orderly campaign
elsewhere in Java, Maluku and Irian Jaya, where its politicians
reiterated promises to eradicate poverty and create more jobs.
The first incident occurred in Kota Gede, a PPP stronghold,
where about 50 people in Golkar attire jumped out of trucks and
vandalized a PPP office about 5 p.m.
Yogyakarta's PPP mayoralty branch office chief, Sukri Fadholi,
said police saw the attack but did not intervene until the
intruders left.
The stone-throwing mob shattered window panes, doors and
wreaked furniture. They also removed nine PPP flags.
Sukri said the vandals assaulted a PPP security taskforce
member, Sujari, who refused to leave when the office was stormed.
"Strangely, the police picked up Sujari, not the attackers,
for questioning. This is unfair," he said.
Another group wearing Golkar attire pelted the Yogyakarta
provincial PPP headquarters on Jl. Tentara Rakyat Mataram with
stones.
Security officers managed to disperse the rampaging crowd
which had caused minor damage.
The chairman of PPP's Yogyakarta chapter, Alfian Darmawan,
said he could not accept the incident but refused to say what he
would do.
"If the authorities cannot guarantee security, we'd better
stop campaigning," he said.
Golkar's campaigns recorded high turnout in the Central Java
town of Magelang where chairman Harmoko was present and in
Jakarta where senior cabinet ministers addressed supporters.
Reports from various cities in Java said Golkar members came
to the campaign sites but left to hold street rallies.
Holding street rallies is forbidden but both the PPP and
Golkar have violated this rule.
Supporters said they were not keen to listen to campaigners'
speeches because no cabinet ministers turned up.
Hari Wahyudi from Golkar's East Java chapter said the minister
of finance, Mar'ie Muhammad, the minister of religious affairs,
Tarmizi Taher, and the state minister of population, Haryono
Suyono, did not make it to campaigns in Kediri, Malang and
Banyuwangi because they were busy.
Besides the three ministers, businessman Probosutedjo, House
speaker Wahono, and former vice president Sudharmono also failed
to campaign for Golkar in East Java.
The state minister of public housing, Akbar Tandjung, who was
supposed to address a Golkar gathering in Yogyakarta, also failed
to appear before 20,000 waiting supporters. No explanation was
given.
Harmoko and secretary-general Ary Mardjono in Magelang
reiterated Golkar's commitment to alleviating poverty.
The minister of cooperatives and small enterprises, Subiakto
Tjakrawerdaya, spoke of raising the poor's living standards while
campaigning in Cilacap, Central Java. (imn/har/23/38)