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)