Locals protest MPR representatives

Locals protest MPR representatives

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: A mob of local residents
vandalized the provincial legislature building on Wednesday to
protest what they called the unfair composition of
representatives to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Antara reported the mob stopped its rampage and dispersed
after the legislators met their demand for changes to the lineup
of the province's representatives to the Assembly.

The new lineup is composed of two representatives from the
ethnic Malay community, two Dayak representatives and one
representative from the Chinese-Indonesian community.

The legislature earlier elected three Malays to the Assembly
at the expense of the Dayaks, who earned a lone Assembly
representative. Each of Indonesia's provinces is allotted five
seats in the Assembly, which is currently meeting in Jakarta.

West Kalimantan is home to numerous ethnic groups, including
the Madurese, Chinese-Indonesians, Dayaks and Malays.

No casualties were reported in the incident, but a legislator
from the military faction, Suharsono, estimated material losses
from the violence could reach hundreds of millions of rupiah.
(emf)