Poll rigging exposers jailed

Poll rigging exposers jailed

SEMARANG: Ungaran district court sentenced two students to two
years in prison Monday for claiming to have exposed violations of
the 1992 election rules by government officials.

Presiding judge Fransiskus Lopy said the students were guilty
of sowing hatred against the government by circulating leaflets
alleging officials had acted in favor of a Golkar contestant.

The defendants, Slamet Bibit and Fuad Chafidin, insisted they
had done nothing wrong by publicizing election rules violations.

Among the violations they disclosed in the pamphlets was the
banning of United Development Party and Indonesian Democratic
Party symbols from public places. In some cases, they said, party
activists were not allowed to attend election rallies without an
adequate reason.

"I have always been prepared to be jailed. I also want to warn
people that similar violations are possible in this year's
election," Bibit said. (har)