Golkar supporters top traffic violations

Golkar supporters top traffic violations

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The police have ticketed
317 election rally revelers for traffic violations, most of them
from the ruling political group Golkar.

Chief of Ujungpandang city police Col. Mochammad Darus said
yesterday that 197 Golkar supporters would go to court for
various traffic law offenses they committed on their way back
from a rally.

Supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the
United Development Party (PPP), who rallied on Tuesday and
Wednesday respectively, shared second place with 60 tickets.

Darus said that most of the Golkar supporters, as well as
their PDI and PPP counterparts, were found guilty for not wearing
helmets and packing motorcycles with more than two passengers.

Apart from the booking, the police detained more than 100
motorcycles and cars.

Darus said that the vehicles would be kept at police
headquarters for between one and two months. "The length of stay
will depend on the motorist's violation," he said.

Police in the South Sulawesi capital imposed stricter policies
earlier this week after learning that many election rally
revelers initiated street rallies and thus broke the law.

Provincial leadership of the three political contestants
approved the police move.

Many of the rally attendants looked unprepared for the strict
measures imposed by the police. They just followed when police
surrounded them and brought them in groups to police
headquarters.

In yesterday's rally at Karebosi field, Minister of Finance
Mar'ie Muhammad, in his capacity as a Golkar senior functionary,
told 5,000 people joining the gathering that they carried the
mission to maintain the party's grip on the province.

"Don't talk and make too many comments. Let's promise to win
the general election for Golkar," Mar'ie said in his brief
speech.

Hasan Walinono, a senior official at the Ministry of Education
and Culture, Linda Gumelar, House legislator and wife of Sulawesi
military commander Maj. Gen. Agum Gumelar, as well as Jusuf
Kalla, renowned businessperson raised in the province, were other
campaigners at the rally.

As soon as Mar'ie completed his speech, a group of Golkar
supporters tried to flee for a street rally. Police foiled their
attempt, however.

Earlier that day, Governor HZB Palaguna in his capacity as
chairman of the Indonesian Election Committee's South Sulawesi
office, accompanied by Agum, observed an indoor rally at
Kemanunggalan ABRI-Rakyat hall. No less than 1,500 people were
present.

In another Golkar rally in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan,
the party's patron Sarwono Kusumaatmadja claimed that Golkar
swept the previous five general elections due to its key role in
the national development program.

"The growing public support for Golkar suggests (support for)
its successful development program," he was quoted by Antara as
saying.

Sarwono, the State Minister of Environment, spoke only for
five minutes before leaving for Buntok, South Barito regency, for
an indoor rally. (30/31/37/amd)