Tutut meets NU ulemas amid Golkar campaign
PAMEKASAN, East Java (JP): Golkar leader Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana took a break from her busy campaign schedule yesterday to nurture grassroots support at a meeting here with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) ulemas.
For one and a half hours, in her third meeting with NU leaders in three days, she spoke to about 100 ulemas at the NU's local branch.
Although the meeting happened while Golkar was campaigning in East Java, branch leader Hamid Manan denied it had any political undertones.
"It was just a courtesy call. There was no other motive. Mbak (Sister) Tutut wanted to meet us, so we accepted," Hamid said referring to President Soeharto's eldest daughter by her nickname.
The NU claims to abstain from practical politics, but it lets its members support political parties.
Hardiyanti met NU chief Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday at an NU religious school in nearby Pacitan before attending a Koran reading session in Surabaya.
Hardiyanti has been assigned the task of "cultivating" political support for Golkar in Central and East Java.
At yesterday's meeting, Hardiyanti again lauded the role of ulemas in human development and attested Golkar's commitment to develop astute, God-fearing Indonesians.
She then went back on the campaign trail, speaking at two nearby rallies which were each attended by more than 20,000 people.
Golkar held rallies yesterday in cities throughout Java, Madura, Maluku and Irian Jaya.
Golkar campaigners again focussed on corruption as their theme, without offering any solutions.
In Yogyakarta, Golkar supporters seemed more interested in joining the motorcades on the streets than the rally, which featured Minister of Social Services Endang Inten Suweno.
About 3,000 attended the rally at the town's Mancasan Wirobrajan field. Yogyakarta's sultan Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X told the crowd to rally peacefully and orderly.
In Grobogan, Central Java, campaigner Slamet Effendi Yusuf credited Golkar for uncovering the Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620 million) corruption case by escapee businessman Eddy Tansil.
He then appealed to the thousands of supporters to abstain from violence. Recent violence had been instigated by "anti- establishment forces" wanting to sabotage the elections, he said.
Despite Slamet's message, several Golkar supporters fought suspected United Development Party supporters. Three people are being treated for injuries sustained in the fight which destroyed three motorcycles.
Meanwhile, in Jakarta, Golkar campaigner Bambang Trihatmodjo, his wife Halimah and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono shared top billing at a rally in the Dana Yasa field, Kebayoran Baru.
Introduced to 3,000 enthusiastic supporters as "the handsomest man in Indonesia", Bambang, President's Soeharto's eldest son, spoke of how Golkar had eradicated poverty.
Halimah spoke of the argument for stability and continuity of development. She said Golkar would continue to seek a more equitable distribution of wealth but warned that "making the country prosperous isn't as easy as turning over your palm".
At the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Azwar Aznas recycled Golkar's anticorruption platform.
"We admit that collusion and corruption exists here but it doesn't mean we ignore it. Our country's average income has increased 7.2 percent, that's proof that we've done something to eradicate collusion and corruption," said Azwar, also Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.
A sea of about 100,000 yellow-clad supporters at Kemayoran greeted his every sentence with yells of support.
Azwar said national development was a long and demanding effort: "So if a party promises you that it can do things instantly if it wins the election, it's a lie." (nur/23/38/har/aan/05/mds)