Sigit Widodo and Andrea, Jakarta – Around two thousand people demonstrated at the National Election Commission (KPU) offices bringing the traffic on Jalan Imam Bonjol to a complete stop.
The demonstration started at 10am and included activists from Jabotabek KIPP (the Independent Election Monitoring Group), KPM (Mega Support Committee), FPR (Peoples Forum of Struggle), KOMRAD (Student Committee for a Democratic Society), KOBAR (Workers Committee for Reform Action) and KUBI (Greater Indonesian University Family).
FPR arrived with banners and a number of flags reading "The People's President Megawati". They also had demands including "The New President Megawati", "Disqualify Golkar", "Investigate the perpetrators of July 27" and "Stop Militarism and Abolish the Dual Function of the Military".
"The results of reformasi towards a new Indonesia was done by all of the people, not by [President] Habibie, not by the 700 members of the parliament because the people are the highest holders of the people's sovereignty. Vox populi vox dei", said an FPR activists.
KPM who also supported Megawati carried banners with "Megawati or Revolution, a New President Megawati". The song Revolution or Death could be heard being sung by students from KOBAR, KUBI and KOMRAD.
Meanwhile, around 500 police were stationed around 200 metres from the front ranks of the demonstrators. Around 50 metres from the traffic lights the police had already established a police line. This was in case the KPU offices were demonstrated against by large number of people. Before it was the People's Democratic Party [who's 2,000 strong demonstration was fired upon by police on July 1, injuring at 76, four seriously - JB]. There were also hundreds of riot police with water cannons and a truck carrying barbed wire barricades.
Around 100 KIPP activists renounced the political parties which are refusing to sign the election results saying that those who choose to reject the election results must give a detailed explanation.
KIPP also criticised the KPU for not being independent and called on the election body to give a guarantee to the people to investigate cases of election fraud before stating the results are official or not.
[Translated by James Balowski]