Opposition against Golkar looms large

Opposition against Golkar looms large

JAKARTA (JP): Party functions held by the ruling Golkar across
Java over the weekend were met with hostile receptions, and at
one site led to an emergency rescue of chairman Akbar Tandjung.

A helicopter flew Akbar and his wife from Jember to the
neighboring East Java town of Lumajang on Sunday, after Golkar
supporters were ambushed by opposition parties.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and
National Awakening Party (PKB) supporters were identified as the
attackers, Antara reported.

Akbar fled as soon as he finished his address to party cadres
in a field in Karangrejo, Sumbersari district.

Golkar followers were about to disperse when the attackers --
some of whom were armed with sharp weapons -- arrived. Some
Golkar civilian militia were allegedly beaten and dozens of
Golkar cadres were forced to take their party uniforms off, the
news agency reported.

Police said they received complaints from 50 Golkar
supporters, who said they were forced to remove their uniforms on
the outskirts of Jember, which leads to Banyuwangi, the eastern
tip of Java.

Earlier in the day, the attackers allegedly sought Akbar on
their way to Karangrejo. However, security authorities warned the
chairman of the possibility of danger and suggested he move from
a bus, which also carried a group of journalists, to a Toyota
Kijang van.

No arrests were reported following the attacks.

Akbar canceled his visit to the Central Java town of Klaten on
Saturday, following objections from local leaders of PDI
Perjuangan, PKB and the National Mandate Party (PAN). In a joint
statement, they said they were worried about clashes involving
their supporters and Golkar rivals.

Officials from Golkar's branch in Klaten denied that the joint
statement had caused Akbar to call off his meeting with 1,000
farmers and fishermen from across the province in the town. The
gathering went ahead, despite Akbar's absence.

Participants at the function were allegedly assaulted on their
way home. A group of villagers pelted trucks and buses carrying
Golkar supporters with stones, but no serious clashes were
reported.

Another attack on Golkar supporters was reported in Semarang
on Sunday, when a group of people wearing PDI Perjuangan
attributes vandalized the party office on Jl. Veteran. Three
people were injured in the incident.

In Bandung, a joint rally held by thousands of PDI Perjuangan,
PKB and PAN supporters on Sunday caused massive traffic jams
across the city. Participants shouted their common opposition
against Golkar and the status quo.

In Jepara, Central Java, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader
Abdurrahman Wahid guaranteed on Sunday that no clash would flare
up again in the province among supporters of parties claiming to
represent the NU.

"The clash here recently was just a minor disruption to the
PKB. I guarantee such an incident won't happen again," he told a
media briefing before addressing an estimated 20,000 people in
Jepara Square in a celebration to mark the Hijriah Islamic New
Year and the town's 450th anniversary.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, was referring to a clash
between United Development Party (PPP) and PKB supporters last
month, in which four people died and scores were injured.

Abdurrahman called for restraint, citing the party's motto of
"defending the truth and sincerity".

During the gathering, a boy named Yanto climbed onto the stage
to extend an apology to Abdurrahman, because his father was
suffering a mental illness after slandering the NU's charismatic
leader.

Abdurrahman shook the boy's hand and told him he hoped his
father would make a speedy recovery.

Abdurrahman also said he would take two-months leave from NU,
starting from the first day of official campaigning on May 19.

Meanwhile, Jepara Police chief Lt. Col. Monang Manullang told
The Jakarta Post eight men had been named suspects in the latest
clash between PPP and PKB supporters. "Four of them are alleged
provocateurs and the other four are charged with assault," he
said.

Monang also identified five Jepara districts prone to unrest:
Kedung, Pecangan, Melonggo, Mayong and Bangsri.

In a related development, PAN chairman Amien Rais told party
supporters in Purwokerto, also in Central Java, on Sunday to
avoid conflicts with followers of rival parties.

"We are all friends, except for Golkar. Just forget Golkar,
it's too painful to remember what it did in the past," he said.

In Jombang, East Java, President B.J. Habibie called for fair
play in the June 7 polls, urging political parties to be prepared
to take defeat graciously.

"All sides should accept the parties that win the elections,"
he said in the centennial commemoration of the Tebuireng
Pesantren (Islamic boarding school) on Saturday.
(43/44/45/edt/har/nur/rms)