PDI Perjuangan posts in Jakarta to change from red to white

PDI Perjuangan posts in Jakarta to change from red to white

JAKARTA (JP): All Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) communication posts in the capital will be painted
white beginning on Monday to enable other parties to use the
posts.

Head of PDI Perjuangan's Jakarta chapter, Roy B.B. Janis, said
on Saturday the posts would be painted white and serve as Posko
Bersama (joint posts) for all political parties contesting the
June 7 general election.

Roy said the plan to change the color of the PDI posts was
meant to help prevent clashes between political parties during
the campaign period, which is scheduled to start on May 19.

"The joint posts will be used by security members from all
political parties. The security members will help the police and
military ensure security during the campaign period and the
general election," he said.

Roy also said the plan followed a regulation issued by the
city administration stipulating that political parties must
remove their communication posts from the capital by June 5.

"We've already built the posts, so why should we have to
demolish them if we can still use them for something else. We're
really sincere about this," he said.

The Jakarta Provincial Elections Committee has issued a
schedule of campaign activities which includes the removal of all
political party attributes, including communication posts, from
the capital by June 5.

PDI Perjuangan has approximately 5,000 communication posts,
which are known as Posko Gotong Royong, in Jakarta.

Besides PDI Perjuangan, other political parties, including the
National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party
(PPP), have communication posts in the capital.

When asked whether PDI Perjuangan had coordinated with other
political parties on the plan to change the color of the posts,
Roy said: "They will agree if we carry out the plan for
security."

If the posts are neutral nobody will hesitate to visit them
and if necessary use them as shelters, Roy said.

"Our commitment (in constructing the posts) was that the posts
would not be used for our own political interests, but that we
would provide them for the public. Anybody who needs shelter or a
place to get first aid after a traffic accident or protection if
violence occurs during the campaign period can just go there."

Roy made the remarks after a two-hour meeting with Jakarta
Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, who was accompanied
by the chiefs of all the capital's police precincts.

Noegroho said: "The idea of painting the posts white comes
from Pak Roy himself and if it's a good one, why don't we support
it?"

Noegroho said the police would not discriminate against any
party and if he supported PDI Perjuangan's plan it was because
PDI Perjuangan was serious about preventing unrest or clashes
during the campaign period and the general election.

He urged other political parties to help safeguard the city
for the everybody's sake.

"PDI Perjuangan initiated this meeting and offered this idea
of having the joint posts. It was not me or the police. They
asked us to assist them so here we are," Noegroho said, adding
that he would open his office to all parties to help coordinate
the campaign period and the general election. (emf)