Poll violation report denied

Poll violation report denied

SEMARANG, Central Java: Governor Soewardi has denied reports
of premature electioneering and violations of general election
rules here, Antara reported.

He was responding to an accusation by local executives of the
United Development Party that village and neighborhood chiefs in
Tegal, Pemalang and Kendal have made rounds of residents to
canvass their support for the ruling Golkar organization in the
1997 general elections.

"No violation is committed if a neighborhood chief visits his
residents and ask them which party they are going to vote for in
the election," Soewardi said yesterday.

Chief of the administration's sociopolitical affairs bureau
Misnadi also denied the reports and called them an attempt to
disturb provincial social stability and disrupt the elections.

The laws on general elections rule that a person's vote is
confidential. (rms)