Thousands pack Bandung's streets

BANDUNG: The campaign season here concluded on a high note as the West Java capital was swarmed by a sea of people in delirious but trouble-free street rallies on Friday.

Many businesses closed shop for the whole day, after hearing that nobody would go shopping. Some of them also said they anticipated possible unrest.

Several groups of party supporters were seen pouring onto the city's arteries in convoys shortly after Friday's prayers. The number of campaign revelers increased gradually. A few hours later the town was totally blanketed in multi-colored party attributes.

Traffic congestion prevailed as many motorists joining the rallies defied traffic signals. Police kept the situation from deteriorating into total disorder.

There were no reports of accidents until late in the afternoon.

While streets were crowded, only a few people attended indoor rallies or election-related events. Many representatives of parties invited to a debate organized by the Pikiran Rakyat daily at its office on Jl. Soekarno-Hatta did not show up, blaming the heavy traffic jams. (43)