Police on full alert ahead of election
Police on full alert ahead of election
Abdul Khalik and PC Naomy, Jakarta
The police will be on full alert one day ahead of the campaigning
period for the country's first direct presidential election, says
a top police officer.
"Do not regard this as an emergency security measure; it's
more about the preparedness of all personnel involved in
providing security for the presidential election," said National
Police chief of the training and security division Comr. Gen.
Adang Dorojatun after presiding over a preparation ceremony at
the Bayangkara field on Saturday.
The one-month campaign will start on June 1 and the alert went
into effect at midnight on Sunday.
He said that two-thirds of a total 274,000 police personnel
were on standby, ready for any eventuality as the country entered
the presidential election campaign.
In Jakarta, some 16,000 personnel will be on alert while the
remainder, about 8,000, will be on regular duty during the
campaigning period for the July 5 election.
Previously, the police announced that they had deployed
special squads to guard the five pairs of presidential
candidates. Each will have 56 officers assigned to guard him or
her, working in shifts around the clock.
Contesting the election will be incumbent Megawati
Soekarnoputri, her former security chief Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, national assembly chief Amien Rais, Megawati's current
deputy Hamzah Haz and former armed forces chief Gen (ret)
Wiranto.
Adang said that the police had not heard about nor received
any information on possible security threats to the presidential
campaign and election.
"I will keep an ear to the ground for any reports from our
state and police intelligence community on that," he added.
The U.S., Canadian, Australian and British governments have
warned their citizens that terrorists could attack anywhere in
Indonesia during the election process. They have urged their
citizens to leave the country if their presence is not essential.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said that the
police had deployed sufficient personnel in places that could be
attacked by terrorists, including foreign interests.
"We have a duty to guard everyone here in Indonesia,
foreigners and Indonesians alike. Apart from continuing to search
for fugitive terrorists, we are alert to the possibility of
attacks on certain places," said Soenarko, without mentioning any
specific locations.