Legislators held hostage

Legislators held hostage

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Civilian guards of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) are holding hostage
16 local legislators representing the party, whom they accuse of
practicing money politics during a vote to elect the city's mayor
and deputy mayor on Monday.

The hostage-taking started when the guards, locally known as
satgas, heard that their candidates, Ridwan Batubara and Bahdin
Nur Tanjung, had lost.

As if to add insult to injury, the PDI Perjuangan favorites
finished at the bottom of the three-way race, despite the fact
that the party dominated the legislature.

The majority vote went to the pair of Abdillah for mayor and
Maulana Pohan for deputy mayor.

Of a total of 45 ballots cast, 35 were in favor of Abdillah
and Maulana. Ridwan and Bahdin won four votes while the pairing
of Zaufan Lubis and Fachri Mudadalam received six.

The angry guards demanded an explanation from the PDI
Perjuangan faction and asked faction members to leave the
legislative building.

Braving a police cordon, they took over the building's main
gate and checked those who were about to leave. For almost two
hours, no one, including PDI Perjuangan legislators, were allowed
to leave until police suggested a representative of the guards to
negotiate with the legislators.

As of late Monday, talks to release the hostages were still in
progress. (39/emf)