Violence reigns ahead of election day
JAKARTA (JP): Police proved their early warning of intensifying violence ahead of Monday's elections worth listening to on Wednesday.
While Yogyakarta remained tense following a recurred clash between supporters of United Development Party (PPP) and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), a fresh brawl involving sympathizers of the two parties and the national Mandate Party (PAN) flared up in the Central Java border town of Klaten on Wednesday.
In Ambon, Maluku, religious conflicts resurfaced before and after a Muslim-based PPP campaign, with the party supporters pelting public transportation vehicles believed to carry Christians and vice versa.
Campaigning in the capital and the country's second largest city Surabaya was undisturbed with no acts of violence but traffic congestions.
National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi said Tuesday the final round of campaigns, which started on Monday, would be vulnerable to unrest because all the 48 contesting parties would be stretched to the limit in high spirit to win people's hearts.
Police also revealed that 174 people had died in clashes and traffic accidents during street rallies since the campaign season kicked off on May 19.
At least five people suffered severe stab wounds and 15 others were slightly injured in separate clashes in Klaten on Wednesday. One of them, 16-year-old Daryanto, was still in a coma after his neck was stabbed.
Deputy head of the local PAN branch, Fahrudin, said Daryanto, a junior high school student, was attacked by PPP supporters while he was playing soccer in a pitch near his home in Puluhan village.
"Today's clash must have something to do with the previous incident between supporters of PAN and PPP on Saturday," Fahrudin said.
Daryanto was being treated at Islamic Hospital along with his friend Wawan, 14, and Megel villagers Alfian, 19, Safrudin, 30, and Saifullah, 27.
Following a campaign rally in Pedan district, PPP supporters were split into several groups of convoys. Clashes erupted in Megel, Kurung, touted as a PDI Perjuangan stronghold, Puluhan, Tempursari and Ngaran villages. At least 17 houses in the villages were attacked.
Police fired three warning shots to disperse PPP supporters who tried to force their way to Tempursari village, which PAN claimed to be one of its strongholds in the regency.
Klaten police chief Lt. Col. Mustofa Hari Kuncoro was not available for comment.
In Yogyakarta, hundreds of PDI Perjuangan supporters attacked a command post belonging to PPP on Jl. Wachid Hasyim in retaliation to overnight clashes that injured six people, mostly PDI Perjuangan sympathizers.
Angry PPP supporters took revenge by pelting the house of PDI Perjuangan activist, Acun Hadiwijoyo, in Notoprajan subdistrict near Jl. Wachid Hasyim.
Riot police, who were deployed to restore order, fired several warning shots, but resorted to shooting at the warring mobs after they ignored the warning. A PPP supporter, Istanto, 18, was shot with a rubber bullet to his thigh. He was rushed to nearby PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital.
As of Wednesday night, leaders of the conflicting parties were negotiating a peaceful settlement.
Delight
In Jakarta, PAN chairman Amien Rais delighted hundreds of thousands of party supporters who flocked the city's thoroughfares on Wednesday in its last campaign.
Main streets of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin changed into a sea of blue, the color of the party, as the supporters from the city's five mayoralties flooded the streets and lingered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
Boarding three choppers, Amien and his entourage, who included journalists, visited seven campaign sites in the neighboring West Java towns of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi earlier in the day.
Speaking at Pulomas horse racing course in East Jakarta, Amien asked at least 10,000 supporters to flock the streets after his speech ended.
"I will talk only in three minutes. Let's change Jakarta into blue. Let's go to the city's center... ," Amien told the supporters in a husky voice.
Thousands of supporters of Justice Party, Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Republican Party mingled with their PAN counterparts at the roundabout near Hotel Indonesia (HI) in the capital's heart.
PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra joined a parade along Jl. Jendral Sudirman on an open-roof Volkswagen Safari at midday. The presidential candidate waved his hands to the crowds and headed to the HI circle before making a 10-minute oration.
In Surabaya, 85 legislative candidates representing PAN introduced themselves to the public by delivering speeches in the city's streets.
Wearing the party's blue uniforms, the candidates spread brochures which stated their curriculum vitae.
Back in Jakarta, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus announced that President B.J. Habibie would in the near future issue a decree declaring the election day on Monday a national holiday. (23/44/swa/jun/ind)