LAKSAMANA.Net, July 26, 2004 01:41 PM
Explosion at Election Headquarters
Laksamana.Net - A minor explosive device went off at the Central Jakarta
headquarters of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Monday (26/7/04) as
officials were preparing to announce the final vote tally from the July 5 presidential
election.
There were no reports of any injuries at the four-story building, which is located on
Jalan Imam Bonjol, nearby the British Embassy and the five-star Mandarin Hotel.
Detikcom online news portal reported the explosion occurred at about 1.05pm in the
women's toilets on the ground floor. The force of the blast blew off a door and
shattered some windows and mirrors.
Prior to the incident, a police officer conducting a patrol had discovered the explosive
in one of two cardboard boxes in the restroom. One of the boxes reportedly contained
an obscene message addressed to KPU member Valina Singka Subekti.
The officer evacuated the toilets and called the bomb squad, but the device exploded
before the squad arrived.
At the time of the blast, more than 1,000 supporters of the Islam-based Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS) had been protesting outside the KPU office, urging the
commission not to ratify vote counts from eight provinces because of alleged
irregularities.
After the explosion, footage on local television networks showed bomb squad police
evacuating and searching the building, while other officers set up a cordon.
The PKS supporters immediately halted their protest and offered no resistance when
police ordered them to disperse.
The explosion's lack of power was evidenced by the fact that when KPU members on
the second floor of the building heard the blast they paid little heed, thinking
something had fallen over downstairs. It was only when they noticed journalists and
police swarming to the ground floor that they realized something was amiss.
'Results Will Be Announced Today'
KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin insisted the final results of Indonesia's first
direct presidential election would be announced as scheduled on Monday despite the
"terrorist" action.
He said the attack was perpetrated by people opposed to the outcome of the July 5
polls.
Sjamsuddin said the results might have to be announced at another venue. "We are
giving security officials time to work and we are awaiting their recommendations. If it
is quite safe, we will continue here. If indeed we must move, yes we will move. But
what's clear is that the announcement of the results will not be postponed. We will
continue today," he asserted.
The announcement of the election outcome will be a mere formality, as provisional
results have long shown the winner is former security minister Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono with about 33.57% of the vote.
Failing to win a majority of more than 50%, Yudhoyono will face second placed
incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri in a September 20 run-off election.
Megawati as of midday Monday had 26.27% of the vote. The three losing presidential
candidates are former military chief Wiranto with 22.19%, National Mandate Party
leader Amien Rais with 14.91% and Vice President Hamzah Haz with 3.06%.
Valina Singka Subekti
It was not immediately clear why the perpetrators of the attack had apparently singled
out Subekti, who headed of the KPU's team responsible for the accreditation of
election monitors.
However, detikcom reported that Subekti had on Sunday night approached journalists
and asked whether they knew of any possible threats to the announcement of the
election results. Reporters told her they had only heard there would be "the usual
demonstrations".
Subekti on Thursday gave a somewhat brusque response to demands by Wiranto for
a recount, saying such complaints would only be accepted if backed up by supporting
documents.
Wiranto, who has been linked to a string of violent human rights abuses but denies
any wrongdoing, is the presidential candidate of Golkar Party, the former political
vehicle of reviled ex-dictator Suharto.
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