ID stickers to be issued for campaigners' cars

JAKARTA (JP): Police will issue official car stickers, in the political parties' colors, to campaigners for the general election campaign period.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday the compulsory stickers were green, for the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP), yellow, for the ruling Golkar, and red, for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Polling day is May 29.

The stickers, each bearing a code number, will allow campaigners to travel in only one of the eight areas of Greater Jakarta.

Aritonang said the stickers for campaigners' cars were to stop supporters of one party in one area, entering another area during the campaign period.

Golkar supporters with Central Jakarta stickers on their cars, for example, will not be allowed to go to Golkar campaign activities in other areas.

"By limiting mass gatherings of supporters in an area, we hope the campaigning will run in an orderly manner," Aritonang said.

He said the codes on the stickers would be different for each of the eight areas.

Central Jakarta will be coded one; North, two; West, three; South, four; East, five; Tangerang, six; Bekasi, seven; and Depok, eight.

Each party was to see that law and order are maintained during the campaign, Aritonang said.

"Each party is responsible for its supporters," he said.

Police would help control all the activities during the campaigns and impose sanctions on campaigners who violate regulations, Aritonang said.

Thousands of police officers have been preparing for the campaign.

City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata yesterday inspected his fully armed men, they have 127 cars and 476 motorcycles for the campaign period.

Hamami asked them to do their utmost to ensure the campaigns run well, and to prevent crime.

"We are in a war against crime," he said.

Hamami said each officer should catch one criminal a week. (04)