PAN supporters ditch campaign stop

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: About 1,000 supporters of the National Mandate Party (PAN) abandoned a PAN campaign rally held on Friday at the Bumi Tamalanrea Permai field in Makassar city.

The supporters initially flooded the field at 1 p.m and listened attentively to the PAN campaigners, who spelled out the party's programs.

But the supporters apparently grew bored with the speeches and began leaving the field on motorcycles and in cars. They then took part in a PAN convoy through the city.

There have been similar occurrences at campaign rallies for other political parties, signaling that many people are not that interested in a party's programs, instead preferring street campaigns. -- JP

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Samarinda-council-election

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Council building deserted during campaign

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The East Kalimantan provincial council building on Jl. Karang Paci here was deserted on Friday, the second day of the election campaign, as most of the councillors were busy on the campaign trail.

Only administrative staffers were seen in the office.

"Most of the councillors are busy campaigning or holding meetings with their constituents. However, they have promised that they will come into the office," said Effendy, a commission secretary for the council.

The last council meeting was held several days ago, when the councillors discussed the provincial budget. However, only 21 out of the 45 councillors attended the meeting, Effendy said.

Sugeng Haryadi, a political observer, lashed out at the councillors, saying they were selfish. -- JP

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Yogyakarta-campaign-Panwaslu .................... JP/3/CAMPAIGN

Parties fail to inform KPU of campaigns

YOGYAKARTA: Local journalists questioned on Friday the preparations of political parties for the election campaign in Yogyakarta.

"I doubt whether the political parties were ready to campaign. It is the second day of the campaign, but the political parties have not yet informed poll organizers where they will campaign and who their campaigners will be," said Yuyuk Sugarman, a local journalist.

A similar concern was raised by a member of the Yogyakarta mayoralty's Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), Agus Triyatno.

He said many political parties had yet to inform the Yogyakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) of their campaign schedules, which also posed a problem for Panwaslu. -- JP

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Aspiration-Papua-Trikora .................... JP/3/TRAIL

Candidates have slip of the tongue

JAYAPURA, Papua: Maybe they were nervous or just overly emotional, but two campaigners for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had a difficult time pronouncing "aspiration" during a campaign rally at Trikora field in Jayapura.

Rosiati Anwar, a legislative candidate for the party, took three times to get the correct pronunciation of "aspiration".

"Brothers and sisters, vote for PDI-P because this is the only party that fights for the people's aspira ... aspira ... aspirations," she said.

The crowd was quick to jump on her slip of the tongue with a round of boos.

Similar trouble was experienced by Frans Siriwa, another PDI-P legislative candidate. -- JP

;JP;ASA; ANPAa..r.. Shirt-Surabaya

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Supporters demand T-shirts SURABAYA: Several participants of a campaign rally for the Indonesian Unity Party (PPD) complained on Friday that they were not given T-shirts by party officials.

The T-shirt-less rally participants shouted at party officials on stage at the Gelora Deltras Stadium in Surabaya.

"We need T-shirts," they said.

The shouts did not produce any T-shirts but they certainly disrupted the campaign.

Some of the participants abandoned the rally when it became obvious that party officials were not going to produce the shirts. -- JP