PPP chairman suggests PRD behind campaign violence

PPP chairman suggests PRD behind campaign violence

JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) chief Ismail
Hasan Metareum said yesterday that activists of the unrecognized
Democratic People's Party (PRD) might have started the campaign
violence.

But Ismail guaranteed that the PRD had not infiltrated his
Moslem-based party. The PRD's leaders are in jail for undermining
the state.

"It is difficult to provide hard evidence for my allegation
because it is impossible to control the huge crowds at rallies,"
he said.

"It is difficult to tell who everyone is because anyone can
mingle with the crowd wearing PPP attributes," said Ismail after
a rally in Pontianak.

PPP supporters clashed with Golkar's and security forces
Sunday after Golkar rallies in Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

Despite the clashes, the government and the PPP said yesterday
campaigning would continue until it officially ends Friday albeit
with smaller indoor rallies.

Ismail said PRD activists had not infiltrated the PPP because
it carefully screened its officials.

The government has accused the PRD of inciting the July 27
riots in Jakarta after the brutal takeover of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters by an internal rebel faction.

The vice chairman of the government-recognized PDI Jakarta
branch, Loekman Mokoginta, said yesterday the recent riots which
tarnished the campaign might reflect people's resentment against
the government.

"How could a war of finger signals end up in attacks on
government and police offices?" he said.

Loekman said the government should initiate major political
changes to avoid clashes between party supporters. The changes
included revitalizing political parties and the House of
Representatives and more press freedom.

"Political parties should have access to their grassroots
supporters at a subdistrict level to allow them to carry out
political education programs.

"People are vulnerable to provocation and join the riots
because of their lack of political education," he said.

The government introduced its floating mass policy in 1978,
banning parties' subdistrict and local branches.

Loekman said he regretted the rampages and blamed supporters
for failing to control their temper and party leaders for losing
control of them.

Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, was also
upset by the violence.

Abdurrahman, chairman of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU), said he was angry to learn that the organization's youths
were taught bad things, such as abusing Golkar supporters in
public.

"Parents and election contenders, please do not instill bad
values in our children that may publicly humiliate the NU,"
Antara quoted him as saying in Bandar Lampung.

Abdurrahman said that, because most PPP supporters were NU
members, he was particularly concerned by PPP supporters'
behavior.

Abdurrahman attended prayers at the Darul A'Mal Islamic
boarding school with more than 1,000 preachers and students.

He said he was offended by PPP supporters who chanted slogans:
"Number one bintang (star), number two animals." Number one is
PPP's ballot number and number two is Golkar's.

"This should not have been said by Nahdlatul Ulama members who
take pride in being religious and should possess good conduct,"
he said.

Clashes have broken out across Java after bystanders refused
to respond to demands to make the Golkar finger sign. In some
parts of Jakarta and Central Java, however, the violence
developed into sectarian unrest with the vandalism of houses of
worship.

Despite the widespread violence in Jakarta, however, police
insisted that everything was still tolerable. City Police Chief
Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said that the violence was merely
"adornment" of the campaign. (pan/amd)