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Indonesian President's Backers Continue to Hold Rally
Thousands of fanatic backers of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid continued to stage rally Thursday, demanding the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to drop its planned special session.
The House of Representatives (DPR) Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of calling on the MPR to hold a special session to request Wahid account for his administration's performance.
More than 2,000 fanatic backers of Wahid, mostly from East Java province, gathered on the Monas Square in Central Jakarta Thursday morning and headed for the presidential palace in the afternoon.
No incidents were reported, but the rally has forced police to stop traffic in the nearby streets.
The protesters also requested Wahid soon to issue a decree on the national state of emergency and dissolve the parliament.
"We ask the president to issue the decree. Dissolve parliament and the (ex-ruling) Golkar Party," a protester shouted.
Hundreds of riot policemen were on top alert to safeguard the palace and prevent the protesters from entering the ground.
Meanwhile, the Antara News Agency reported Thursday that situation in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya is calm in the wake of the parliament recommendation on MPR special session.
Unlike on Wednesday, situation in several towns in the province were also relatively calm. One protester was killed during a clash between Wahid's backers and riot police on Wednesday in Pasuruan city in the province, while more than 100 were arrested.
The MPR has decided to hold a special session on August 1 this year.
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