PDI enters Surakarta's political color battle

SURAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has entered the political battle over what color public objects in this ancient city should be painted.

Over the past two days, activists loyal to the deposed party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri have repainted objects in public places red and white, the colors of the national flag.

"Red and white symbolizes unity. We don't want to see the nation divided," said Mustofa, the Megawati loyalist in charge of coordinating the repainting campaign.

Trees, sidewalks, lamp posts, telegraph poles, fences, zebra crossings and many other objects in public places in Surakarta have changed color at least four times.

The color conflict started last year when the mayoralty, which backs the ruling Golkar party, painted the objects yellow -- the color of Golkar.

Members of the United Development Party (PPP) accused the administration of campaigning for Golkar and last month they repainted everything white, a supposedly "neutral color".

But the PPP activists' maneuver infuriated mayor Imam Sutopo, who maintained the city's color was the government's prerogative. His threat to sue the PPP members has, however, never materialized.

In an excuse widely ridiculed, Central Java governor Soewardi said yellow was the color of the Oriole, the province's mascot, and not just that of Golkar.

Mustofa said the two parties' conflict over the colors was deplorable, "unbearably childish" and did nothing constructive to strengthen national unity.

Secretary of the Surakarta PDI chapter, Gunawan, said the painting project was "spontaneous" with no one ordering it and that the party had no right to stop it.

Chief of the Surakarta sociopolitical affairs office Soedjono Rofii said he would check on what the PDI activists had repainted.

He said the authorities would not take any action if they had painted trees and objects on their own property. (har/pan)