Tight security urged for election campaigns

Tight security urged for election campaigns

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP), which has
denied triggering recent unrest in Central Java, urged the Armed
Forces yesterday to secure the April 27 to May 23 election
campaigns.

The Moslem-based party accused security authorities of doing
nothing to stop people attacking PPP activists on their way to
party anniversary celebrations in Wonosobo, Central Java, last
week.

PPP chief Ismail Hasan Metareum said he was worried
irresponsible people would infiltrate party gatherings and
tarnish the party's image.

"We have already been accused of provoking riots in several
Central Java cities," Ismail said yesterday.

Recent political riots in Central Java involved activists of
PPP and the dominant Golkar party.

The riots occurred in Pekalongan, Rembang, Temanggung,
Wonosobo and Banjarnegara between March 26 and April 9. Tension
also gripped Pati, Kudus, Salatiga and Magelang.

"It was not PPP supporters who provoked the latest riot in
Pekalongan. We had a report that the burning spree was started by
about 50 unidentified people that roamed the town the whole
afternoon," he said.

A PPP fact-finding team said yesterday that the April 9 riot
in Wonosobo was started by an attack on 12 PPP supporters who
were on their way to attend a party celebration.

"The 12 PPP supporters were attacked by eight people equipped
with sharp weapons at the Binangun market in Wonosobo. They (PPP
activists) are still in hospital," deputy secretary of the PPP's
Central Java chapter, Harminto Agustono, said in Semarang
yesterday.

One of the victims, Syaiful Mujab aged 16 was seriously
wounded, he said.

Harminto said security officers only watched and did nothing
to stop the attack.

Harminto, who is also a member of the fact-finding team, said
three of the eight attackers were ex-convicts. "We will submit
our findings to local police as material evidence," he said.

The same team will also investigate the riot in neighboring
Banjarnegara, in which dozens of houses and vehicles were damaged
last Wednesday.

Central Java governor Soewardi blamed the riots on a third
party, but did not elaborate.

"The three political contestants have been infiltrated by a
third party, who meant to sabotage the May 29 general elections,"
he said after a meeting with President Soeharto at Merdeka
Palace.

He denied allegations that the riots were triggered by his
controversial policy to have objects in public places painted
yellow, the color of Golkar.

The "yellowization" campaign has angered PPP and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) activists. They have repainted
objects in Surakarta white or red and white.

Soewardi denied the yellowization campaign was aimed at
helping Golkar win the election.

Meanwhile, the PPP's anniversary celebrations in Semarang
Sunday evening went on without incident.

Ismail Hasan said yesterday he would propose that the
government spare at least two ministerial seats in 1998 for PPP,
preferably the ministry of religious affairs and ministry of
education.

"We want to participate in the handling of state affairs," he
said. (imn/har)