Parties campaign in Cairo mosque

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)