Students protest PPP signing poll results

Students protest PPP signing poll results

JAKARTA (JP): About 20 students protested yesterday over the
United Development Party's (PPP) decision to accept the general
election results despite alleged widespread poll-rigging.

Under the watchful eyes of security officers, the activists
from the Committee of Students Caring for Indonesia protested at
the party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro.

They accused the PPP of hypocrisy over its endorsement of poll
results after its officials had said that electoral fraud had
been "worse" than in previous elections.

"The huge popular support demonstrated during the campaign was
a sign that people badly needed fundamental political reforms but
the PPP has only given them lip service," the activists'
statement said.

In the May 29 election, the PPP won 89 seats in the House of
Representatives. It came second after the government-backed
Golkar party, which won 325 seats.

The conflict-ridden Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) saw its
representation in the House fall from 56 seats to 11.

The activists urged the PPP to take its many reported
electoral law violations to court as it had repeatedly promised.

The PPP approved the poll results after repeatedly threatening
to refuse to do so because of widespread poll-rigging by election
officials who favored Golkar.

After signing the poll results last Monday, PPP chief Ismail
Hasan Metareum apologized to party supporters for having done so.

Ismail acknowledged that signing the poll results was an
"unpopular" decision that he had had to make for the good of the
nation's future.

The activists dispersed after PPP official Amir Sanang
promised to file their petition with the party's leadership. (11)