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)