Golkar upbeat on victory at polls

Golkar upbeat on victory at polls

JAKARTA (JP): Residents and onlookers jeered and stoned Golkar
supporters during their final campaign rallies on Friday in
Jakarta and several provinces. Despite the poor reception, party
chairman Akbar Tandjung and other Golkar officials expressed
confidence of winning the elections.

From a rash of incidents around the country, at least 11 were
injured during a Golkar rally in Manado, North Sulawesi, when
supporters of other parties pelted Golkar supporters and attacked
them with sharp weapons.

The assailants were from the National Awakening Party (PKB)
and the United Development Party (PPP), Antara reported.

Riot troops fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.

The injured were rushed to Malalayang and Pancaran Kasih
general hospitals, Teling Military Hospital and Sitti Maryam
Hospital in Manado and the GMIM Bethesda Tomohon Hospital in
Minahasa regency.

In Senen, Central Jakarta, riot troops were forced to fire a
barrage of warning shots following the burning of a motorcycle
belonging to a Golkar supporter and dozens of flags after Golkar
supporters became embroiled in an altercation with residents.

Hundreds of shops in the area immediately closed and traffic
was disrupted during a standoff lasting about five hours.

The clash began at about 1 p.m. when residents, including
street traders, booed passing Golkar convoys.

"Long live Golkar!" Golkar supporters shouted to residents,
who retorted "Long live Mega" in reference to Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

Ironically, the dispute broke out as a giant screen atop the
nearby Atrium Senen shopping center displayed the image of
Megawati, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Golkar supporters on motorcycles then challenged residents and
vendors by raising their fists.

Residents retaliated by smashing windows of two minibuses
packed with Golkar supporters, causing them to flee in panic as
they discarded their yellow T-shirts. Locals made bonfires of the
clothes and Golkar flags.

Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said the
incident unfurled from a motorcyclist baiting the residents,
which led them to set his vehicle on fire. The rider fled.

People also stoned Golkar motorcades passing through Bendungan
Hilir and around the Welcome Statue traffic circle in Central
Jakarta and Jembatan Besi in West Jakarta.

Despite the warning shots, residents only started to disperse
when heavy rain fell and after Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen.
Noegroho Djajoesman arrived at the scene at 4 p.m.

The calm was broken later when residents chased a jeep bearing
Golkar flags.

The arrival of members of the mobile brigade force restored
order, but tension simmered again when dozens of members of the
Islamic Defender Front (FPI) appeared, carrying machetes and
wearing green turbans.

Campaigning in Sunter, North Jakarta, and Slipi, West Jakarta,
Akbar said Golkar would at least do as well as in past elections.

From 1971 to 1997, Golkar won every general election by a
landslide.

Previous Golkar rallies at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle
ran smoothly along with other parties, including the Indonesian
Democratic Union Party (PUDI), the Peace Loving Party (PCD) and
the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR).

At the same spot, PDR supporters were seen distributing Rp
20,000 bills and T-shirts to people, including street vendors.

Supporters including dozens of motorcycle taxi drivers yelled
"Adi Sasono!" and distributed fliers showing the minister of
cooperatives and small enterprises as PDR's presidential
candidate. A driver of a bajaj (motorized three-wheeled vehicle)
said he was given Rp 40,000 to join the PDR rally.

Akbar stressed on Friday at party headquarters that the
nomination of incumbent B.J. Habibie as the party's sole
presidential candidate was final despite criticism from within
the party.

They warned that Habibie's nomination would discourage voters
due to his alleged foot-dragging in the investigation of alleged
unscrupulous practices by former president Soeharto.

"Golkar will fight for Habibie's reelection in the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)" in November,
Akbar said. Golkar deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman has voiced
support for Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto.

Akbar played down speculation of a split in the party's board
of executives. "Once consolidation is achieved, all Golkar
members will comply with (Habibie's nomination)."

Evaluating the election campaign which ended on Friday, Akbar
said there was a plot to foil a Golkar victory.

"All intimidation during our campaigning was not spontaneous,
but engineered," he said, citing provocation of people who pelted
Golkar supporters.

He also claimed that Chinese-Indonesians, still traumatized
from the devastating riots of May 1998, received threats that
they would again be targets of violence if Golkar won.
(imn/ind/jun/edt)