PPP supporters fill streets of Semarang and Tasikmalaya

SEMARANG (JP): Tens of thousands of United development Party (PPP) supporters took to the streets here and in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya yesterday on their way to and from rallies.

An estimated 50,000 supporters jammed the streets of Semarang while traveling to the outdoor rallies.

Business centers, shopping complexes and gas stations closed and hundreds of soldiers and riot police guarded public places.

Hisyam Alia addressed a rally in Kompak soccer field in an eastern suburb, and Hartono led a rally in Mijen. A sea of flag- bearing people in PPP green swept through the city's streets.

The PPP campaigners again spoke on the discrimination, which party cadres suffered under the current political system, widespread corruption and collusion.

Hisyam said corruption in the bureaucracy was so deeply rooted that the government had trouble controlling it.

"Therefore, the PPP will fight to eliminate political discriminations and injustice. All people should have equal access to politics," Hisyam said. "If not addressed, such issues will destabilize and disintegrate the whole country."

Big motorcades also occurred yesterday in Tasikmalaya. Thousands of PPP supporters and sympathizers drove or rode through heavily guarded streets after attending campaigns.

They attended a rally featuring senior politician Bachtiar Hamzah who criticized the government for letting Golkar start campaigning four years ago.

"We have been given only nine days to campaign," he said.

Tasikmalaya, known for its pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), is a PPP stronghold.

But in Yogyakarta, the PPP refused to rally after the local branch announced Wednesday that it would boycott the election campaign to protest attacks by Golkar supporters on two of its offices.

Instead, hundreds of PPP supporters guarded local party offices including the one on Jl. Veteran which was vandalized Wednesday.

Scores of riot police and armored vehicles were deployed in parts of the town to anticipate demonstrations after a small riot Thursday night.

The branch's boycott decision received strong support from a local branch of the Muhammadiyah Youth Forum.

Muhammadiyah is among Indonesia's largest Moslem organizations with an estimated 28 million members.

The organization's influential youth wing called on Golkar to control its supporters and hold more orderly rallies.

It also urged the Election Supervision Committee to take unbiased action against people violating campaign rules. (har/ahy/aan/23)