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)