Parties campaign in Cairo mosque

CAIRO, Egypt: The Overseas National Election Committee here on Sunday provided facilities for political parties to campaign for the vote of overseas Indonesians in the June elections.

There are eight parties represented here, Antara reported Monday -- the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Justice Party (PK), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), Abul Yatama Party, the Golkar Party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

The discussions at the hall of the Rabi'ah Al-Adawiyah Mosque in Madinat Nasr district were attended by some 650 party supporters and Indonesian envoy Quraish Shihab.

There were two women campaigners, including Nunuk Mas'ulah, 23, of PAN, a student of the Women's Al-Azhar University here.

"I have deliberately come forward here to make all of you fall in love with PAN," she said, and claimed PAN struggles for women's rights.

Another female campaigner, Wirdah Fachriah, 23, of PPP, said her party was a "true reformist" and denied allegations that it was "pro status-quo".

The talks, which were greeted with enthusiasm here, would be the only ones in the campaign season, organizers said.

The elections committee chairman, Abdu Zulfidar, said 1,862 Indonesian citizens have registered, or about 89 percent of eligible voters.

Registered voters mostly consist of students, the rest being housewives, embassy staff, workers and teachers. (swe)