Yogie plays down PPP's protest

Sat, 03 May 1997, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Institute's chief, Moch.
Yogie S.M., played down the United Development Party's (PPP)
decision yesterday not to campaign here and in Yogyakarta.

"What's good about not campaigning?" Yogie, also the Minister
of Home Affairs, told reporters. He said the government would ask
the PPP to reconsider its decision.

Yogie said the PPP had the right to decide whether to
campaign. "If they want to stay away from campaigning, go ahead.
No problem."

The PPP has stopped campaigning in the ancient city of
Yogyakarta to protest the attacks by Golkar supporters on two of
its offices there Wednesday.

Yogie said the attacks should not be "exaggerated" because
they were minor incidents involving Golkar supporters who could
not control their emotions.

The PPP also canceled its campaign here yesterday because the
authorities have refused to let it hold outdoor rallies.

In Yogyakarta, no PPP supporters rallied in the streets. But
in Jakarta thousands of supporters jammed the streets because
they did not know about last night's boycott decision.

Yesterday afternoon the party dispatched its security officers
on the streets of Jakarta to tell supporters to stop rallying and
go home.

Massive traffic jams happened in Tomang, Slipi, Mampang and
Pasar Minggu where thousands of supporters in trucks and on
motorcycles filled the main streets.

Shops along Jl. Buncit in South Jakarta closed when the crowd
swelled. The shops reopened at about 2:30 p.m.

PPP chief Ismail Hasan Metareum denied allegations that the
campaign boycott in Jakarta and Yogyakarta aimed to win public
sympathy.

"In Jakarta, we did not campaign because the authorities
refused to issue permits," he said at his home in Jakarta.

PPP Jakarta chapter chief Rusjdi Hamka said the South Jakarta
police had refused to issue a permit for an outdoor rally and the
East Jakarta police had withdrawn its permit.

The police would only issue permits for small rallies
featuring little-known campaigners. The other chapters in the
capital then decided not to campaign out of solidarity, he said.

"We cannot campaign at the subdistrict level because we do not
have representative offices there," he said.

The PPP earlier withdrew from a campaigning agreement it had
signed with the government, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI).

Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said that for now
rallies should be held in and for individual subdistricts and
that large outdoor rallies, as requested by the PPP, had to be
banned.

"Mass rallies may be held in the next stage," he said. "They
(PPP officials) have unilaterally canceled a consensus on
campaigning without prior consultation with the other parties and
the Election Supervision Committee."

Jakarta governor Surjadi Soedirdja regretted the PPP boycott.

"I deeply regret it. Every party should seek the best solution
for any problem with the other parties," he said.

Yogie said the PPP boycott was "very normal" and that he would
not summon the party's leaders to discuss it.

Asked if the boycott was a blow for him as the Election
Supervision Institute's chairman, Yogie tapped his cheeks and
said: "Not at all. Look, there are no bruises."

Yogyakarta remained tense yesterday as PPP supporters put up
more posters condemning the attacks on the party's offices.

Supporters of the PDI's ousted leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri,
hung a large poster, which read "We Megawati supporters share
your grief," in front of the PPP Yogyakarta branch office.

On Jl. Timoho in Central Yogyakarta, the authorities rounded
up a convoy of youths, on 32 motorcycles and in vans, and
escorted them to the police headquarters.

Dozens of security officers forcibly dispersed about 300 PPP
supporters protesting Thursday night in the party's stronghold of
Kauman, near the town's center. The protesters burnt tires and
blocked the streets.

Police chased the protesters into alleys and have since been
patrolling the streets.

In Jakarta, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Supriyadi
called on PPP and Golkar supporters yesterday to stop fighting in
Yogyakarta. (aan/ste/pan/imn/23/38)