KPU calm despite pro-Gus Dur rallies

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 09/09/2008 10:18 AM  |  National

GUS UNITED: Dozens of supporters of National Awakening Party (PKB) co-founder Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid rally outside of the East Java Election Commission office in Surabaya on Monday. They demanded the poll body recognize Gus Dur as the party’s sole leader. (JP)

Supporters of former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid protested in front of a number of local elections commission offices Monday, prompting police to increase security at all of the body's branches across the country.

However, the rallies were mostly conducted in East Java and Central Java -- the strongholds of the PKB -- and no attention was paid to General Elections Commission (KPU) offices in Jakarta.

Last Saturday, National Awakening Party (PKB) chief patron Gus Dur ordered his followers to besiege KPU offices in the country to dissuade the election body from recognizing a rival faction as the PKB's official representative.

The rallies came after the Jakarta State Administrative Court ordered the KPU to postpone a decree recognizing the PKB camp led by Muhaimin Iskandar as an official contender in the 2009 legislative elections.

In Central Java, hundreds of protesters marched outside of two KPU offices in Semarang and Cilacap on Monday demanding that Gus Dur's camp be allowed to contest the general election next year.

Gus Dur's supporters arrived at the Central Java KPU office in Semarang at 3.40 p.m., dressed in the colors of the PKB's youth wing called the National Awakening Youth Movement Task Force.

The rally forced the closure of Veteran road, which leads to the KPU building.

The demonstrators dispersed after their representatives had been permitted to enter the building to talk with local KPU members Ari Pradhanawati and Slamet Sudjono.

"Now we are mobilizing people to besiege the KPU office in Cilacap from Monday until Thursday," said Moh. Mashur Masruri, who chairs a local PKB group in favor of Gus Dur.

He accused the KPU of being "arrogant" and "unfair", particularly in enforcing the political party law, he was quoted as saying by Antara.

Several peaceful protests were staged outside of KPU offices in several cities in East Java, including Surabaya, Gresik, Banyuwangi, Jember and Kediri.

"The East Java KPU must treat the PKB's internal problem independently, professionally and responsibly, without being influenced by outsiders that have been bullying the party," local party executive Idris Sopian Ahmad said during the rally in Surabaya.

In response, East Java KPU member Didik Prasetiyono said his office did not have the authority to address the party's internal conflict.

"If there are two factions within the PKB, the KPU cannot serve as a jury to decide which one is legitimate or not. It means we will return the problem for the party itself to resolve," he said.

However, Didik said his office expected the KPU would soon choose which PKB faction could contest the election.

"The central KPU will make a decision on that matter," he added.

No protests were staged at the KPU headquarters in the capital, nor in Jakarta's neighboring cities of Depok, Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang.

However, the police said they were prepared to provide guards at KPU buildings in the case that Gus Dur supporters did arrive.

"Security at the KPU continues to refer to the election security procedures in general, so no specific attention will be paid to the KPU," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said Monday.

Scores of Gus Dur supporters also rallied outside of KPU offices in Lebak, Banten province, and Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

PKB chairman of South Kalimantan chapter Risehan N.B., who is also deputy governor of the province, was not seen among the protesters in Banjarmasin.

The protesters demanded the KPU not verify the PKB's list of legislative candidates until the Gus Dur faction had been recognized.

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