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)