Students reject campaigns, Susilo sings
Students reject campaigns, Susilo sings
A. Junaidi, Jakarta
More students joined those rejecting on-campus presidential
campaigns when Amien Rais was denied entry on Saturday to the 10
November Institute of Technology, Surabaya (ITS).
Amien, the National Mandate Party (PAN) candidate, arrived at
the institute around 9:45 a.m. by helicopter, but about 25
students barred him and his entourage from entering the campus,
although the ITS rector had given Amien permission to present his
platforms and programs to the academic community.
A spokesman for the resisting students, Fauzi, said the ITS
should remain free of any political campaigns.
"We have to respect the students' wishes," said Amien, adding
that he had been accepted by other institutions, including the
University of Indonesia, Jakarta, and Gadjah Mada University,
Yogyakarta. He then continued on to Pamekasan, Madura Island,
just off the coast of East Java.
Earlier on Wednesday, a group of students at Sultan Syarif
Kasim State Islamic Institute in Riau rejected Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's running mate Jusuf Kalla, who was scheduled to hold a
dialog with students and lecturers. The group refused entry to
Kalla, on the grounds that he had teamed up with a military
figure.
Meanwhile, in a bid to solicit the support of thousands
attending a rally on Saturday at Merdeka Square, Medan, Susilo of
the Democratic Party sang the traditional North Sumatran song,
Nasonang Dohita Nadua (Let's get happy).
Accompanied by Kalla, Susilo urged his supporters to choose
leaders who fought against discrimination and corrupters.
In Bandung, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
candidate President Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate
Hasyim Muzadi called on supporters to be wary of vote-buying in
the run-up to the July 5 election.
Megawati asked them to reject attempted bribes and report all
such incidents to the official Election Supervisory Committee.
According to Transparency International Indonesia, however,
her campaign team ranked second after Golkar's Wiranto-Solahuddin
team in vote-buying attempts.
After the rally, Megawati went to Buntet Islamic boarding
school in Cirebon, West Java, to visit noted Nahdlatul Ulama
cleric Abdullah Abbas, who is sick. On the same occasion, she
inaugurated 10 new buildings at the school, which were financed
by husband Taufik Kiemas.
Meanwhile, United Development Party (PPP) candidate Vice
President Hamzah Haz campaigned in Pontianak, West Kalimantan,
and promised to deliver free public education.
"Just give me two years, I'll succeed," he told constituents.
On his solo campaign to Kediri, East Java, Wiranto's running
mate Solahuddin Wahid met thousands of National Awakening Party
(PKB) supporters, to whom he promised to leave Wiranto if the
retired general prevented him from promoting the rule of law and
human rights.
"If my duties are taken over, I will resign, because I cannot
work if I'm not trusted," said Solahuddin, the brother of PKB co-
founder Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.