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.