Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Confronted by the threat of being broken up by the Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), the Congress of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is truly in a jam. The problem however is not the FAKI but the police. As of 2.30pm on Thursday January 18, the congress has yet to start because National Police Headquarters has yet to issue the permit.
The FAKI group that earlier threatened to break up the congress has also not shown its face near the congress site, which is to be held at the Wisma Sejahtera Building in Kaliurang in the Sleman sub-district of Yogyakarta, Central Java. Police meanwhile are still on alert and guarding the site.
The chairperson of the Papernas Congress organising committee, Lalu Hilman Afriandi, admitted that the congress had not yet been able to go ahead because National Police Headquarters had not yet issued the permit. Moreover on account of the congress, Lalu was summoned by the Yogyakarta regional police to explain about the meeting.
Lalu took the opportunity to ask the Yogyakarta police to issue the permit because the congress is an ordinary one and the same as other political party congresses. “But, the regional police were not prepared to issue a permit, because that is the authority of the National Police Headquarters”, said Lalu after leaving the Yogyakarta police headquarters.
Lalu claimed that the committee had in fact already sent a request for a permit to the National Police Headquarters three weeks ago. Up until now however, the police have not responded. “Currently, there is a friend who is taking care of it at the National Police Headquarters”, he said.
Lalu hopes that the police will be able to issue a permit today. “Hopefully this afternoon the National Police Headquarters permit will be issued, so that the congress can begin this evening”, he said.
At this time all of the participants have already arrived at the Wisma Sejahtera. But because the opening session of the congress has yet to start, they are sitting around and chatting near the building. The meeting hall also appeared to be empty. (asy/nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
