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)