"The rivalry among political parties is related to the shooting incident. We call upon our people not to be easily provoked and persuaded by a certain political power to commit violence," General Sutarman said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Police Chief General Sutarman said political rivalry among parties was related to the Monday evening shooting that killed three people in Aceh Province; none of the election violence perpetrators had been arrested.

"The rivalry among political parties is related to the shooting incident. We call upon our people not to be easily provoked and persuaded by a certain political power to commit violence," he told newsmen at the Presidential Office here on Wednesday.

The shooting incident remains under police investigation and the perpetrators are being hunted, Sutarman clarified adding that people in Aceh should use their political rights peacefully.

"Please exercise the political rights without violence. Do not persuade people with violence because it will only hurt the democratic process that we are building. The growing democracy that we expect is the one, which is free from violence," he reiterated.

In connection with the Monday evening shooting, Aceh Provincial Police Spokesman Senior Commissioner Gustav Leo noted that the deceased victims were identified as Juwaini (29), Azirawati (28) and Junaiwis 1.5-year-old son named Khairul Akbar.

The victims were aboard a Kijang Innova with Aceh Party stickers. Their car, carrying 11 people, was attacked while passing the Geulanggang Teungoh Village road in Bireuen District, Aceh Province, on Monday at 9 p.m. local time, he affirmed.

Besides killing three people, the armed attackers also caused serious injuries to Fakhrulrazi (40), he revealed, adding that all the victims were from the same family who were traveling by the van to take Hamidah (60) to meet a traditional healer in Buket Tekuh Village in Kota Juang Subdistrict, Bireuen District.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has echoed the importance of a peaceful election.

Last February, the head of state had reminded that the convening of this years parliamentary and presidential elections should not terrify the people and had to be held in a fair, credible, orderly, and peaceful manner.

The election violence had also occurred in Aceh last February, when two unidentified men shot at a National Democratic Party post, which was set up to support its legislative candidate, Zubir HT, in the Munyee Kunyet Village, Matangkuli Subdistrict, North Aceh District.

No one was killed in the February shooting incident but two people inside the building sustained injuries after being beaten by the attackers who were armed with long rifles.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has decided that 15 political parties in Indonesia are eligible to participate in the elections. Three of them are local parties for the Aceh electorate, while 12 others are national parties.

They are the National Democratic Party (Nasdem), National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), Golkar Party (Golkar), Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra), the Democratic Party (Demokrat), National Mandate Party (PAN), United Development Party (PPP), Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura), Crescent Star Party (PBB), and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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