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President apologizes for traffic congestion
Shouldering the blame for the traffic chaos that gripped the city due to the election rally organized by his Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began his speech with an apology
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Shouldering the blame for the traffic chaos that gripped the city due to the election rally organized by his Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began his speech with an apology.
“Allow me to apologize to the people of Jakarta for the inconvenience on the streets because of our campaign today. I am deeply sorry,” Yudhoyono said before a sea of party supporters who flocked to Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Thousands of people began streaming into the stadium at around 11 a.m., causing gridlock on access roads leading to the venue, including Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, Jl. Asia Afrika and Jl. Pintu Satu.
Most of the crowd came from around Greater Jakarta in rented public buses and minivans.
The gridlock occurred just as the party supporters began arriving.
Security personnel from the police, the party and the presidential detail were on guard at the venue until the rally wound up at around 4 p.m.
Yudhoyono, making his first appearance at an election rally as president, was originally scheduled to speak three times and sing a song with one of the popular boy bands hired to liven up the event. The President, however, delivered one speech and left the venue early.
Traffic surrounding the stadium was still congested as of 5 p.m., when the crowd had already dispersed.
Commuter in Jakarta had braced for traffic congestion Friday as two major parties, the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), held election rallies simultaneously that day.
The PKS rallies took place at Johar Baru Sports Hall in Central Jakarta, the North Jakarta Youth Center, the Blok S soccer field in South Jakarta, the Wika parking lot in East Jakarta and Grogol Sports Hall in West Jakarta.
The Patriot Party, Sovereignty Party and the municipal board of the Golkar Party also held their campaigns in the city Friday.
Jakarta Police deployed traffic officers to clear a number of congested roads.
