Six snakes and rampage interrupt PDI rallies
Six snakes and rampage interrupt PDI rallies
KEDIRI, East Java (JP): Six snakes interrupted a rally
yesterday held by the government-sanctioned faction of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and attended by its chairman,
Soerjadi.
PDI Kediri branch chief Gondo Soedjito was midway through his
introductory speech when the snakes were thrown onto the stage by
unidentified people in the 5,000-strong audience.
It took security forces and the party's civilian guards around
ten minutes to catch the poisonous weling snakes (Latin: bungarus
candidus) and restore order. Nobody was bitten by the notorious
indigenous snakes.
Soerjadi was seated on the stage when the snakes appeared. But
his expression betrayed no fear when he started his speech
shortly after order was restored.
No security officers tried to catch the culprits.
It was only the second town in East Java that Soerjadi had
visited since going to Jember on May 4.
Hundreds of people yelled in support of the party's ousted
leader Megawati Soekarnoputri just five minutes after Soerjadi
began his speech.
"Long live Megawati, long live democracy," they chanted. They
then marched out of the venue, the Katang soccer field. When
Soerjadi ended his 30-minute speech, only about 50 people
remained.
Kediri, about 150 kilometers south of the East Java capital of
Surabaya, is a stronghold of Megawati supporters.
Soerjadi said the incident was provoked by "people who wanted
to disrupt the general election. They try to undermine our party,
but they will not discourage us."
Gondo said the disturbance was unexpected. "I thought those
people were eager to meet the party's chairman. I did not know
they intended to cause a disturbance," he said.
Elsewhere in Surabaya, police arrested three people wearing T-
shirts bearing pictures of Megawati on Jl. Walikota Mustajab. The
police also found firecrackers and five bottles of gasoline near
the rally venue.
Riot
A riot marred the PDI's rally in Jayapura, Irian Jaya,
seriously injuring at least four people. Antara reported that
police fired warning shots to stop thousands who rampaged after a
pregnant woman fell and hemorrhaged at the rally.
A civilian guard at the rally said a rumor that the woman had
been hit by a bullet caused the violence to escalate.
The mob threw stones at several buildings in the Skyline
district on their way to the province capital.
At least 4,000 people had been at the rally in the Trikora
field, Abepura district.
PDI campaigning in Jakarta proceeded as quietly as in earlier
rounds. The party held indoor rallies in 13 subdistricts across
the city.
Police and soldiers, armed with automatic weapons, guarded the
rally venues.
The rallies were incident free, despite the circulation of
leaflets with pictures of Megawati and the Moslem-based United
Development Party's (PPP) chairman, Ismail Hasan Metareum, at the
venues. Some people also bore flags with the PPP's five-pointed
star on a red background, which symbolizes the alliance between
Megawati and Ismail.
PDI campaigner Loekman Mokoginta addressed about 100 youths
and students at an indoor rally in Semarang. Loekman focussed on
improving the bureaucracy and poverty alleviation.
"A total war against all forms of corruption and collusion
should be initiated nationwide for a clean government and
bureaucracy which serves the public," Loekman said.
(nur/01/amd/har)