Violence erupts at Golkar meeting, vehicles destroyed
Violence erupts at Golkar meeting, vehicles destroyed
Puji Santoso and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post/Pekanbaru/Makassar
Violence triggered by the recent election of a Golkar Party
leader in South Sulawesi spread to Siak regency, Riau province,
on Sunday night.
As a result, Siak Police deployed dozens of personnel to
prevent the riot from escalating as tensions ran high in the
regency.
At least one luxury car and three motorcycles were set ablaze
by Golkar supporters when the party held a meeting to elect a new
local chairman of Siak at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Two other cars were also damaged in the clash between
supporters of rival candidates -- Endang Sukarelawan and Said
Muhammad -- who contested the Golkar's chairmanship election.
The violence started after Endang won the election with eight
of 14 votes, while Said got only four votes. Two voters
abstained.
Said, who was the incumbent Golkar chairman in the regency,
had been very optimistic he would secure a second five-year term
through the election that started at around 7 p.m.
The defeat of Said, also the chairman of the Siak Legislative
Council, sparked anger among his supporters inside Yasmin Hotel
on Jl. Suak Sakti, Siak, which housed the meeting.
They and their rivals hurled chairs at one another inside the
hotel.
The clash continued outside the hotel with an angry mob of
people burning a green Toyota Land Cruiser Turbo van belonging to
Said, and damaging two other cars.
Election committee chairman Irvan Gunawan blamed the
supporters of one candidate on Monday for inciting the violence.
He refrained from naming him.
"For the time being, the Golkar Consultative Meeting has been
adjourned until the situation returns to normal," Irvan said.
Siak Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jaya Suprianto said he sent
at least 45 personnel, including Mobile Brigade officers from
Riau, to help secure the regency.
"This is a preparatory move in case there is further rioting
on a bigger scale," he said on Monday.
Jaya said the police were also investigating Golkar supporters
involved in the clash to determine the masterminds behind it.
"To find the brains behind this, we have detained 23 people
for intensive interrogation," he added.
A number of local Golkar leaders from Riau, who attended the
election, were forced to return home under the tight escort of
local policemen.
A similar conflict disrupted the election of a new Golkar
leader for South Sulawesi province earlier on Friday.
Some 500 supporters of four organizations affiliated with
Golkar blocked the opening ceremony of the meeting in protest
over the reelection bid of South Sulawesi Governor Amin Syam who
has been chairing the party for 12 years.
The supporters of the four organizations -- the Indonesian
Swadiri Employees Organization Union (SOKSI), the Indonesian
Reform Youth Force (AMPI), the Golkar Party Youth Force (AMPG)
and the United Golkar Women's Party (KPPG) -- arrived at around
6:30 p.m. and immediately disrupted the meeting.
Two steering committee members, who tried to calm people down,
were beaten and thrown out of the venue. One of the two victims
sustained minor injuries to the nose.
The protesters also ordered all participants to vacate the
venue and occupied it, while giving speeches against Amin Syam's
bid for a third consecutive term as South Sulawesi's Golkar
chairman.
However after more than two hours of negotiations, the meeting
resumed and was opened by Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung.
The meeting unanimously reelected Amin Syam on Sunday after
his two rival contenders Edy Baramuli, a former South Sulawesi
Legislative Council chairman charged with graft, and Ilham Arif
Siradjuddin withdrew their nominations.
Golkar is scheduled to hold a national congress in January to
elect a new party leader. Akbar, Metro TV owner Surya Paloh,
former military chief Gen. (Ret.) Wiranto and Vice President
Jusuf Kalla may contest the election.