MMI Ahyani/Hendra & GB, Bandung – Mass actions to support President Abdurrahman Wahid not only occurred in East Java today. Around 300 people gathered at the Bandung Municipal Legislative Council building in West Java demanding the Golkar Party be disbursed.

Meanwhile, in Medan, North Sumatra, three student groups urged Wahid to resign and go back to East Java to become President there.

Demonstrators began arriving at the Bandung Municipal Legislative Council building on Jl Aceh, Bandung, West Java, around 10.30 local time Wednesday. They blockaded Jl Aceh which then meant traffic was diverted from Jl Wastukencana and Jl Merdeka to Jl RE Martadinata.

Interestingly, most of the demonstrators were students from Junior and Senior High Schools in the area. The students wore their white-blue and white-gray school uniforms and called themselves the 'Forum for Total Reformasi' (Fortal) and 'Forum of Reformasi Upholders' (FPR).

After noisy protests and negotiations, Fortal and FPR representatives were eventually allowed inside the Bandung Municipal Legislative Council building. Meanwhile, the masses gathered at the Bandung Municipal Legislative Council II hall. They were waiting to be allowed to enter the main building. Security officers were on alert but watched from a distance.

The demonstrations was very lively. Orators condemned Speaker of the House of Representatives Akbar Tandjung and demanded his party, Golkar, be disbursed. They also targeted Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Amien Rais.

There was also humour in the students' orations. Names were changed: Amien Rais became Amien Bais (Biased), Akbar Tandjung became Akbar Djantungan (Heart attack) and Fuad Bawazier became Fuad Mubazier (Useless). Mubazier is a National Mandate Party (PAN) leader along with Rais and they are perhaps the President's most vocal opponents in the House.

Meanwhile in North Sumatra, around 500 students arrived at the North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council around 12.00 local time presenting demands at the other extreme of the political spectrum.

They urged President Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, to resign immediately. "Gus Dur resign, just go back to East Java and be the president there," the demonstrators shouted.

The groups involved were, amongst others: the Indonesian Muslim Students' Action Front (KAMMI), Students Nation Safety Concern (MPKB) and the Khadijah Women's Muslim Movement.

This demonstration was also supported and followed by a number of members of the North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council.

Speaker of the Council, Ahmad Azhari, directly expressed their support for the students. "We support completely the students' wish and will follow it up according to existing mechanisms in the Legislative Council," Ahmad said. He is also Deputy of the Provincial Leaders' Council of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

Besides urging President Wahid to resign and just be President in his home province, the students also demanded the immediate convocation of the People's Consultative Assembly to remove Wahid. "At the latest, the Assembly must convene a special session of the Assembly by the end of March 2001," shouted one of the orators.

In addition, anti-Gus Dur students also 'long marched' to the state-owned television station in the provincial capital Medan located around one kilometer from the Council. During the long march they sang, "Go home! go home! take Gus Dur home, take Gus Dur to East Java!"

These students also changed the President's name and several posters read 'change Gus Dur's name into Gusur Durjana' (get rid of the sinner). Shortly after the anti-Wahid students arrived, another 200 students arrived at the grounds of the North Sumatra Legislative Council with the same demands as the others in East Java and Bandung. "Abolish Golkar and New-Order followers," they shouted.

These students originated from the Indonesian Nationalist Students Movement (GMNI), Indonesian Christian Students Movement (GMKI), Association of Catholic Students (PMKRI) and Indonesian Association of Muslim Students (PMII). Representatives were also allowed inside the Council chambers.