Sutiyoso reelected amid public outcry
Bambang Nurbianto and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite outrage and opposition from tens of thousands of demonstrators from various organizations and student groups, incumbent Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was reelected for the 2002- 2007 term on Wednesday by 47 of the 84 councillors.
Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso, 58, paired with City Secretary Fauzi Bowo was elected as governor and vice governor respectively in the City Council's plenary session with a single agenda of gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial election.
At least 25 students suffered serious wounds as they were hit by rubber bullets, tear gas canisters and a water cannon barrage. Two police officers who tried to drive away protesters from three armored personal carriers -- used to escort some of the councillors -- were injured as they were struck by the vehicles. One of them suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.
Fifteen other demonstrators were poisoned after they ate snacks given by an unknown man. They were rushed to the Cipto Mangunkusuma hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta, but allowed to go home later.
More than 18,000 officers from the police, military and other agencies were deployed to deal with the demonstrators.
A military man reported to his commander through his cellular phone that at least 70 shots of teargas were released by the police into the angry anti-Sutiyoso crowd. Two water cannons pummeled the activists throughout the day, despite having one of their supply hoses cut from behind the truck. The cutter/protester was severely beaten by security troops with billy clubs.
The police closed Jl. Kebon Sirih and part of Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan as they were flooded by the demonstrators. The City Council building is located on Jl. Kebon Sirih abuts City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan. There were also dozens of Sutiyoso supporters, wearing orange T-shirts -- which he had given to them earlier -- demonstrating quietly in front of City hall.
Vice President Hamzah Haz's secretary had his car vandalized by unknown persons, who smashed its windows. The vehicle was parked near the vice presidential office near Jl. Kebon Sirih.
At 11 a.m. the fence of City Council building was torn down by the demonstrators, who demanded the councillors to stop the election process as they accused Sutiyoso and the city councillors of money politics, in which every voter was bribed.
"The election process should be stopped as the majority of the councillors have received money from Sutiyoso," cried a demonstrator before they managed to break down the fence.
But, the demonstrators were not bold enough to take on the police line and penetrate the razor wire to get into the building to forcibly stop it.
Earlier, clashes between the protesters, particularly hundreds of members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), and the City government's Public Order troops broke out after the former managed to open the gates of the City Revenue Agency located just to the right of the City Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta.
They battled with rocks, sticks and other projectiles before the City Riot Troops stormed in and overpowered the civilians.
In addition to the FPI, other organizations who took part in the protest included the Communication Forum for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Forkab PDI Perjuangan), the Betawi Assembly (Bamus Betawi) and the Students Executive Body (BEM) from several universities in Jakarta.
Most of them were extremely upset about the endorsement given to Sutiyoso by the PDI Perjuangan faction in the City Council.
"We, of the grassroots level of the PDI Perjuangan, are unbearably disappointed that the once-honorable councillors' support Sutiyoso, who is a failure," said a Forkab PDI Perjuangan member.
The PDI Perjuangan councillors were told by the party's central board, chaired by Megawati Soekarnoputri, to support Sutiyoso.
Sutiyoso is still a suspect in the July 27, 1996 tragedy where a group of military and civilian proxies attacked supporters of Megawati who were trying to defend their party headquarters. Dozens of Megawati's defenders were killed or are still missing.
On Wednesday morning, as the groups blocked all entrances to the City Hall and the City Council building, most councillors, as well as Sutiyoso, arrived at the City Hall compound by police helicopters or armored vehicles.
Those who walked to the City Council building were 13 members of the National Mandate party (PAN), four from the Justice Party (PK) and three from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
The three PDI Perjuangan councillors were Tarmidi Suhardjo, who was also a gubernatorial candidate, Ugiek Soegihardjo and Sukirin. They rejected Sutiyoso's nomination, and their party's order, and did not join the 27 other councillors from the party who spent the night at Hotel Borobodur in Central Jakarta, on Tuesday night.