Security Condition in Palopo Retunrs to Normal

Jakarta, (Antara) - Security condition in Palopo, South Sulawesi, where a violence broke out on Sunday, has now slowly returned to normal, National Police Chief Gen Timur Pradopo said here on Monday. Therefore he called on all public elements there to follow democratic process of Palopo regional election and take legal process if they were not satisfied with the election result. "From democratic process, the people in Palopo should have respected the decision of the local election commission, but it was marred with a violence and our task is to restore security situation," said the National Police chief. On Sunday the violent broke out in Palop after the result of regional election to elect Palopo mayor was announced. 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. Pradopo said investigation into the violence was still underway while one of the perpetrators was questioned intensively. Meanwhile, President Yudhoyono said a number of anarchic acts, including the latest one in Palopo, should have been prevented. "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. 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. (*)