Hasrul, Kendari – The mood in Pasarwajo city, the capital of Buton Regency in Southeast Sulawesi, was tense Sunday following the shooting of people protesting against the regental election plan.
Police officers and soldiers were stationed at strategic posts throughout the city. Besides guarding the Buton regency's residence, large numbers of officers kept watch at major government buildings, including the city hall.
Officers were seen stopping motorists heading to the downtown area to check them for weapons, while local residents gathered in groups in a number of spots.
Meanwhile, four shooting victims were said to be recovering. One of them, 17-year-old Joni, was released from the hospital after being treated for his wounds on his face. "We've allowed the patient to go home as he has recovered from his injuries," Pasarwajo General Hospital employee Munir said Saturday.
The four were among 12 protesters wounded during the demonstration on Wednesday after they damaged the office of the local General Election Commission (KPUD) and demanded the postponement of the regental election slated to be held July 23.
The protest was sparked by the decision to drop five of the 10 pairs of candidates taking part in the election for failure to meet all the requirements.
Joni claimed he was shot by the authorities while having dinner with other protesters.
Meanwhile, Southeast Sulawesi police chief Brig. Gen. Edhi Susilo reiterated that he would not tolerate any anarchic actions. He said Buton police officers had acted appropriately. "All the shooting actions by my subordinates were in line with existing procedures, as the protesters had shown anarchic tendencies by damaging the local KPUD office," Edhi said.
He added that he was ready to deploy a larger number of officers during the regental election. "Let's uphold our democracy properly. We will take stern actions against those intending to disrupt the election," he said.
Laode Hamzah Amiri, head of Buton KPUD, said the regental election would be conducted according to plan. "We've met all the goals set in the schedule," he said, urging everyone, especially supporters of the dropped candidates, to act wisely.