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)