Military steps up patrols of key north coast artery

Military steps up patrols of key north coast artery

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): With mounting tension ahead of
Wednesday's presidential election, Central Java Diponegoro
Military commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo asked residents,
particularly Megawati supporters, not to block the strategic
North Coastal road.

The road is the major artery that connects cities in Bali,
Java and Sumatra. For many years it has been one of the main
distribution roads for food and industrial goods between the
three islands.

According to Bibit, the blockading of this road would
completely paralyze the country's economic activities.

"I therefore ask all related parties not instigate such an
action as it will cause great losses for everyone. Imagine the
economic disadvantages if the road is jammed," the two-star
general said in the Central Javanese capital of Semarang on
Tuesday.

Bibit said his calls were made based on an unconfirmed rumor
that a group of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) supporters were set to blockade the vital road at
different points, for unknown reasons.

"We've heard about this," he said.

Bibit promised that he would deploy his men to help secure the
road, both for the public and for Megawati's supporters, most of
whom were heading for Jakarta to express their support for
Megawati in the race for the presidency.

About 1,000 personnel were prepared to guard the road, Bibit
said.

Approximately 1,000 Megawati supporters left for Jakarta on
Tuesday from outside their Semarang office, according to Ismoyo,
chairman of PDI Perjuangan Semarang chapter here.

Earlier in the day, the same number of PDI Perjuangan
supporters held a mass prayer for Megawati in front of the
party's branch office.

A similar event also occurred in nearby Temanggung.

"This (prayer) is for those who cannot go to Jakarta. We
believe that Megawati will always be our leader," Bambang
Soekarno, group coordinator in Temanggung, said.

In Surakarta, groups of Megawati supporters flocked to the
municipality building.

"We'll stay here over night and watch the (presidential)
election together with the legislators," B. Sumarno, action
coordinator, said.

A rally was staged by about 3,000 students along with hundreds
of lecturers in the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang, the
stronghold province of incumbent President Habibie.

Similar to their previous rallies, the group criticized
attempts by certain political parties to force their will on the
presidential election, by using the mass deployment of people on
Jakarta's streets.

They gave no names but were probably referring to the PDI
Perjuangan Party.

Students from Hasanuddin University, Makassar University and
the Indonesian Muslim University also condemned the leaders of
PDI Perjuangan for their remarks concerning the possibility of a
revolution.

Republika quoted Jacob Tobing of PDI Perjuangan on Monday that
if Megawati lost the presidential bid, it is likely that her
disappointed followers would stage a revolution.

"Whoever wins the presidential bid ... it's okay with us as
long as it is done based on the existing rules and the principle
of democracy," the students said.

In Denpasar, Bali, hundreds of students from Udayana
University and Nusa Dua College staged anti-Habibie protests, as
well as rejecting the preservation of the status quo and the
power of the military.

"Habibie is a puppet of New Order regime. He doesn't deserve
to be reelected," Oktav N.S., a student leader, said.

In Bandung, West Java, hundreds of students from 11
universities left for Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon, reportedly to
join a mass rally slated to be staged in front of the People's
Consultative Assembly compound in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Grouped under Bandung's Indonesian Youth Front (FIM-B), the
students included those from Padjajaran University, Bandung
Islamic University (Unisba) and IKIP (Teacher's Institute),
Bandung.

In Medan, North Sumatra, students grouped in the Indonesian
Muslim Student Action Front (KAMMI) and Indonesian Christian
Students Movement (GMKI) reminded the Assembly members to pick
the right person to become the country's next president.

"We have not staged any protests or held street rallies, but
that does not mean that we are not following the session,"
Ikrimah Hamidi, chairman of the North Sumatra branch of KAMMI
said on Monday.

Dimpos Manalu, a GMKI executive, shared his opinion saying
that GMKI had been very critical when watching the General
Session.

"We strongly reject Habibie's accountability speech, but we
have expressed our policy without staging any rallies," Manalu
said commenting on why Medan's students had not held any street
rallies so far. (27/39/43/har/zen/sur/edt)