Violence troubles PPP's campaign in Ujungpandang

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Violence marred the United Development Party's (PPP) campaign here yesterday as thousands of supporters vandalized dozens of shop-houses and a karaoke bar, fought locals and burned a car.

A Golkar member, who was not campaigning, was stabbed in the leg with a badik knife and has been taken to hospital. No arrests have been made.

The supporters, who rampaged after a rally at the Karabosi soccer field featuring PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, fought with residents on Jl. Ir. Sutami, near the Ujungpandang freeway. Several PPP supporters and residents were injured.

The far-outnumbered riot police and soldiers struggled to restore order.

In Yogyakarta yesterday, troops forcibly dispersed about 100 Moslem youths who were demonstrating Golkar supporters' attacks on two of the PPP's local offices. Two of the youths were reportedly injured at 1 a.m. when the soldiers hit them with rattan sticks.

The PPP has canceled its campaign in Yogyakarta to protest last week's attacks.

The youths, chanting Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), carried three mock coffins, a mock corpse and traditional kemenyan incense. The coffins were inscribed with "death of democracy".

In Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, thousands of PPP supporters took to the streets around the town yesterday. Most headed for the newly opened Barito Bridge.

At the rally in Unjungpandang, Ismail pledged the party would spearhead national reform.

"The PPP will do that so the farmers and fishermen can also enjoy the fruits of the nation's freedom. We won't let poor people get poorer while the rich get richer, not after 52 years of independence," he told his supporters.

The crowd applauded loudly and yelled of "Long live PPP!"

"Changes in the country's politics, economy and social culture are inevitable as we face the era of globalization and free trade," Ismail said.

He said the party would strive to eradicate "political discrimination" which the government's "floating mass policy" reflected. The policy prohibits parties opening village offices. This stops the PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party garnering grass-roots support.

Golkar does not have this problem because most village chiefs and local administrators are its members.

Ismail said the policy meant "the political parties (PDI and PPP) would have problems no matter what actions they took". (30/31/37/23/aan)