Party clash deaths blamed on 'faulty magic'

Party clash deaths blamed on 'faulty magic'

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): The military has attributed the
four deaths in the recent clash between party supporters in
Jepara to failed magical powers.

Chief of the Diponegoro Military Command Maj. Gen. Bibit
Waluyo said "supernatural powers" played an important role in the
clash between supporters of the United Development Party (PPP)
and National Awakening Party (PKB) which killed four and injured
scores last Friday.

The clerics, known as kyai, reportedly "endowed" the youths
who supported certain parties with magical powers that would
supposedly make them invulnerable. The youths involved in the
clash had actually wanted to test their newfound powers and
opportunities arose during the clash, Bibit said.

"That's the fact that I found out there in the field, no more
no less," he told a gathering of community leaders, politicians,
and scholars. "The 'invulnerable powers' that the kyai gave the
party supporters were behind the unrest in Jepara."

As it turned out, in the clash that took place in Dongos
village, "their heads were chopped off, their skulls fractured,"
Bibit said.

Bibit called on the local Muslim leaders to educate the youths
to respect differences instead.

Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said three people have been
arrested for allegedly inciting the conflict, and that they were
hunting down another three suspects.

As preparations for the June 7 poll gear up, competition among
parties intensified as marked by the clashes during the rallies.
Another clash took place on Monday involving around 500
supporters of National Awakening Party (PKB) and National Mandate
Party (PAN) in Batur village, Banjarnegara regency, Central Java.

Four people were seriously injured in a hail of stones, but no
deaths were reported.

Banjarnegara Police chief Lt. Col. Imam Basuki said on Tuesday
the clash broke out when convoys of two groups met on the same
street. Police were still investigating who initiated the brawl.

Chapter

Meanwhile, the Justice Party established on May 1 its branch
in New York. Ihsan Tanjung, a member of the Muslim-based party's
advisory council, installed the executive board of the branch in
a ceremony at the Bosnia Mosque.

The event was also attended by around 75 supporters, mostly of
whom were masters and doctorate students. The branch is now
called the Justice Party Information Center (PIPKA) and similar
centers, have been established in Malaysia, Germany, England and
Australia, Ihsan said.

The U.S. branch of the Justice Party is chaired by Tiyas
Sukarsono.

In his speech, Ihsan said the party wished to build a new
Indonesia, namely a God-fearing civil society. The
characteristics of the society would have an adherence to
religious values with a respect for humanity and knowledge as
well as be peace-loving, egalitarian and just.

In Bandung, West Java, researchers revealed the result of a
recent polling which said that Golkar is likely to win the
province's poll, which has been allocated the largest number of
House of Representative (DPR) seats, 82.

Head of the Center for the Studies of Policies (LPMK) Tb. Kun
Maulawarman told journalists attending a workshop on election
monitoring that Golkar could win up to 20 percent of the
26,249,042 eligible voters in West Java.

The other strong contenders were United Development Party
(PPP), Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
PAN and PKB which could gain over 10 percent of the votes.

The study involved 2,600 respondents from 26 regencies,
Maulawarman said.

Golkar won 72.16 percent of the votes in West Java in the 1997
elections under the New Order regime.

Maulawarman said, however, up to 30 percent of the eligible
voters were still undecided.

Experts predicted there would not be any majority winners in
the elections, which will be contested by the 48 parties. Some
politicians have started to worry about the possibility of a
deadlock in the People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR) general
session which is set to elect a new president in November.

Tentative steps into establishing coalitions have been made by
some parties, but PPP leaders on Tuesday firmly rejected
suggestions that it coalesce with Golkar.

Deputy chairman of Central Java chapter of PPP, Daromi Irdjas,
was quoted by Antara as saying such a coalition would only hurt
PPP because Golkar's image was now at its lowest.

"Besides, such a coalition would be impossible to do before
the poll. For what purpose anyway?" he said.

Earlier, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung reportedly suggested
that Golkar coalesce with PPP, Nahdlatul Ummat Party (NU) and
Ummat Awakening Party (PKU) to challenge PDI Perjuangan's
presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri. (43/45/swe)