PNBK slams Golkar, PDI Perjuangan

PNBK slams Golkar, PDI Perjuangan

JAKARTA: The Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) launched
direct attacks against the ruling Indonesia Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) and the opposition Golkar Party on Saturday.

Announcing the party's election preparations, PNBK party
leader Eros Djarot said it would form a coalition with other
nationalist parties to block a possible grouping of Golkar and
the PDI-P in the upcoming elections.

"People will stand behind us. Do not vote for Golkar or the
PDI-P," Erros said, after showcasing party election materials at
its headquarters in Central Jakarta.

The PNBK, which expects to win about 6 percent of seats in the
legislative election, is likely to form a coalition with the
United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK), the Reform Star Party
(PBR) and the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PPIB).

Former PDI-P party member Erros predicted Golkar and the PDI-P
were likely to lose a significant number of voters due to the
presence of several splinter parties.

The Patriot Pancasila, the PPDK, and Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut"
Rukmana's Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) would
splinter the Golkar vote, while the PNBK, Rachmawati
Soekarnoputri's Pioneer Party and Sukmawati Soekarnoputri's
Marhaenisme Indonesia National Party would hurt the PDI-P, he
said. -- JP

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JP/4/MAID

RI maids may not be able to vote

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Thousands of Indonesian maids in Singapore
might not be able to vote in the elections because they were not
given time off by their employers, a maid said.

"Based on previous experience, it has been difficult for us to
take leave if the day is not a Singapore national holiday," said
Yan, one among the thousands of Indonesian maids living with her
employers in Singapore.

Singapore Indonesian Embassy spokesman Chalief Akbar said on
Sunday the embassy had notified Indonesian maids and their
employers of the elections, so the maids could be permitted to
take at least several hours leave to vote.

Voting for the legislative election will begin on April 5. In
Singapore, voting will be held in the Indonesian embassy. The
embassy will provide 213 ballot boxes.

About 70,000 Indonesians live in Singapore, 80 percent who are
listed as eligible to vote. -- Antara

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JP/4/RAIDERS

Two TNI raiders killed in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Two soldiers from the Infantry Battalion 900
Raider squad have been killed in a gunfight with Aceh separatists
in North Aceh.

The two were First Pvt. Usman and Second Pvt. Johan Supriadi.

The Indonesian Military's Operations Command in Aceh
spokesman, Lt. Col. Asep Sapari, said here on Saturday the two
soldiers were killed on Friday in the subdistrict of Tanah Jambo
Aye.

Their bodies had been sent to Java. One soldier, Second Pvt.
Derek Hursepeny, was injured in the gunfight and was being
treated in a Lhokseumawe hospital, he said.

Sapari said government soldiers were continuing to hunt down a
number of armed rebels in Jambo Aye.

He said a separatist member had been captured in Pante Tanah,
Simpang Ulin. The man, Muhammad Ali Zulkifli, 40, was suspected
of fund-raising for the Free Aceh Movement. -- Antara

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JP/4/POLICE

Probe into Marriott blast to be completed

SURABAYA: The investigation into suspected terrorists in the
Marriott hotel bombing was almost complete, National Police chief
Da'i Bachtiar said here on Sunday.

"The police have arrested several terrorist suspects,
including the latest one, Amran, who have helped put our
investigations on the right track," Da'i said during a elections
briefing at the East Java military command headquarters on
Saturday. More arrests would hopefully be made soon, he said.

The national police's anti-terror unit recently captured
Malaysian citizens Amran bin Mansur, alias Andi Saputra, and
Jafar, known followers of wanted terrorists Dr Azahari and Noor
Din Moh Top. The latter two were believed to be responsible for
the Marriott bombing last year. While other suspects had been
arrested and prosecuted, there were still a significant number
who remained at large, Da'i said.

Regarding security preparations for the legislative election
on April 5, Da'i said "nationally the elections are ready to be
carried out. There are no extraordinary problems to hamper the
implementation of the polls."

"Although some places in Aceh are still considered prone to
security problems, military forces have been stationed there to
assure the smooth implementation of the elections," he said.

A total of 20,000 personnel consisting of 8,000 police
officers, 2,000 soldiers and 10,000 civilians have been mobilized
for the event in East Java.

During the briefing, Da'i was accompanied by State Secretary
Bambang Kesowo, Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno, General
Elections Commission head Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, General
Elections Monitoring Committee boss Komarudin Hidayat, and
several high ranking army officials.
-- JP

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JP/4/GRAFT

Soeharto probe has to be halted: Tutut

SEMARANG: Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the daughter of former
president Soeharto, has demanded the Attorney General's Office
halt its investigation into alleged graft committed by her
father.

A team of doctors at the office, which was examining the
health of Soeharto, should to stop its activities because his
health had already been checked before, Siti Hardiyanti said,
while visiting farmers and the poor in the Demak regency, Central
Java.

Soeharto had been examined by another team of doctors a few
years ago and it had found he suffered from permanent brain
damage, she said.

"The doctors were trusted doctors. They were professors, some
of them were even doctors appointed by the government."

Given the brain damage, the investigation into alleged graft
committed by Soeharto should be stopped, she said.

Siti Hardiyanti, also known as Tutut, is the Concern for the
Nation Functional Party's presidential candidate.

Former dictator Soeharto is being investigated for his alleged
graft in connection with several foundations and charities he
established during his tenure. He rose to power in 1966, and
stepped down in 1998. -- JP