No gathering, rallies in Jakarta: PPP

No gathering, rallies in Jakarta: PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta branch of the United Development
Party (PPP) has called off plans for public gatherings on today's
final day of campaigning in the wake of recent violent clashes.

It also told its supporters yesterday to refrain from holding
street rallies, which have escalated into riots during the 27-day
campaign. The party is instead endorsing "sympathetic
campaigning", defined by gladhanding and the handing out of
pamphlets across the city.

Djufrie Asmoredjo, the deputy chairman of PPP, said the
decision was reached by the Jakarta chapter during a meeting on
Wednesday evening. He was speaking following a meeting with the
General Elections Committee.

The PPP meeting, attended by party leaders such as Jusuf
Syakir, Zein Badjeber, Djufrie and Bachtiar Chamsyah, did not
pinpoint the locations of the gladhanding activities.

"Each local chapter of PPP will determine on its own the
location where its activists will do the gladhanding," Djufrie
said.

To cap off the campaign, the PPP will be in Java, Maluku and
Irian Jaya; the ruling Golkar in Kalimantan and Sulawesi and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in Sumatra, Bali, West and East
Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

Suryatna Subrata, the secretary-general of the General
Elections Institute, said the decision to halt public gatherings
was based on an agreement among the three political parties
following their failure to keep supporters' behavior in check.

"The government did not force them (political parties) to end
public gatherings," he said.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the central board of PPP
lodged a protest on Monday with Chairman of the General Elections
Institute Moch. Yogie S.M. and Chairman of the Elections
Supervision Committee Singgih over violent attacks against its
supporters.

"One of our campaigners, who was passing through a subdistrict
in Demak regency, Central Java, was intercepted by a group of
people armed with wooden canes and bamboo spears," the party said
in a statement signed by deputy chairman Djufrie Asmoredjo and
secretary-general Tosari Widjaja.

The party attached a copy of a letter purportedly from the
Kalicilik subdistrict head and instructing residents to arm
themselves with bamboo spears when PPP was campaigning in the
area. (imn/aan)