Pimps directing votes

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: Pimps are beginning to direct the votes of prostitutes, an activist here said.

"We have information that sex workers are being geared to vote for a certain party," Lily Yulianty Farid of the South Sulawesi Forum of Women said.

"This would clearly be a violation of their political rights," she said on Sunday on the sidelines of talks held by the Coalition of Indonesian Women for Justice and Democracy. She added her forum was still checking the reports.

The deputy secretary-general of the coalition's East Indonesia chapter, Zohra Andi Baso, said so far parties have not offered a clear concept on eradication of gender inequality. (27)