The latest violent act in Palopo is due to the absence of preventive measure"Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A number of anarchic acts, including the latest one in Palopo, South Sulawesi, should have been prevented, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Monday.
"The latest violent act in Palopo is due to the absence of preventive measure," the president said at a limited meeting on political, security and legal issues at his office.
Palopo violence broke out on Sunday after the announcement of regional election result.
The supporters of a losing candidate for a new mayor of Palopo burned the offices of Palopo city mayor, Golkar Party, Palopo Pos daily and other public buildings.
The perpetrators were a group of supporters of Haidar Basir as they rejected the result of the election.
The group came to the office of the Election Commission office where the commission members were holding a plenary session on the result of the election.
The process of vote counting went on without any disturbance, but after the result of the election was announced the group of around 500 supporter of Haidar ran amok, throwing rocks and setting fire on office of the election commission.
According to President Yudhoyono, the riot in Palopo should have been prevented because the case was not the first of its kind.
"Many similar cases have happened repeatedly when the losing parties rejected the results of regional elections by perpetrating anarchic acts," the president said.
Therefore the head of state added that the local officials, police, and territorial command should have anticipated and take preventive measures.
(F001/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
