Life vests spark protest

MATARAM: In the political war of colors, even yellow life vests are raising eyebrows because yellow is the color of Golkar.

Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) chief Soerjadi protested the vests' color on his flight Monday from Lombok to Surabaya.

A Merpati Nusantara flight attendant was about to demonstrate the use of life vests in emergencies when Soerjadi, whose party's color is red, stopped her.

"Do you have any other colors? I have never seen a red life vest," Soerjadi, who was sitting next to the flight attendant, quipped.

Earlier this year, a see-saw war of colors in Central Java tainted the runup to the May 29 poll, with United Development Party (PPP) activists repainting white anything that had been painted yellow by Golkar activists.

Soerjadi is still waiting for an answer because all the flight attendant could manage in reply was a smile. (amd)