Violence troubles PPP's campaign in Ujungpandang

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)