Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Tripoli<\/p>\n
Megawati arrives in Tripoli, meets Qaddafi<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri arrived in Tripoli on Friday for
\na historic, two-day trip to Libya.<\/p>\n
Shortly after her arrival, Megawati held a 15-minute tete-a-
\ntete with Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi at his private tent,
\naccompanied by their interpreters.<\/p>\n
No immediate statements were made by either Megawati or
\nQaddafi, but the President said the meeting was held in the
\nspirit of Asia-Africa solidarity.<\/p>\n
Qaddafi is scheduled to host a dinner for Megawati and her
\nentourage later in the day.<\/p>\n
Megawati is the second international leader after Spanish
\nPrime Minister Jose Maria Arnaz to visit Tripoli since the United
\nNations sanctions on Libya was lifted earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The President is slated to fly home after the trip.<\/p>\n
Megawati arrived Tripoli after a three-day visit to Tunis,
\nwhere she also met with Indonesian community living in the
\nnorthern African state.<\/p>\n
Addressing the Indonesian community in Tunis on Friday,
\nMegawati urged Papuans to support the division of the province,
\nsaying it is the most realistic measure to ensure equal
\ndevelopment in the natural resource-rich but conflict-ridden
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
The President said it would be impossible for just one
\ngovernor and administration to oversee an area as vast as Papua.<\/p>\n
\"I will let the people decide what to do, but I strongly
\nsuggest that Papua be split into two or three provinces to ensure
\nevery area can be properly run,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
She said she understood why some Papuans were opposed to the
\nproposal, but urged them to consider the matter carefully for the
\nsake of development.<\/p>\n
\"People can discuss it, but please consider the benefits (of
\ndividing the province) and the costs of keeping the province as
\none huge area as it is,\" the President said.<\/p>\n
The central government's decision to speed up the division of
\nPapua into three provinces has sparked protests in several parts
\nof the province.<\/p>\n
At least five people were killed during days of clashes
\nbetween those supporting and opposing the declaration of Central
\nIrian Jaya province last month. The violence forced Jakarta to
\npostpone the establishment of the new province, but it did not
\nstop the planned creation of West Irian Jaya province.<\/p>\n
Many people have voiced suspicion that the violence was
\nsparked by considerations over natural resources.<\/p>\n
During the meeting in Tunis, the President said the situation
\nin Indonesia, both economically and politically, was improving.
\nShe said there was no reason to continue considering the country
\nto be in a state of crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We have to stop saying that we are in crisis because it is no
\nlonger there,\" she remarked.<\/p>\n
Megawati is on a two-day visit to Tunisia to enhance trade
\nbetween the two countries, which have had diplomatic ties since
\nTunisia's independence in 1956.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Megawati held meetings with high-ranking
\nofficials to discuss possible trade cooperation in the future. It
\nwas the second visit of an Indonesian president to Tunisia.
\nFounding president Sukarno, Megawati's father, visited the
\ncountry in 1961.<\/p>\n
During the dialog with the Indonesian community, the President
\nalso underlined that next year's legislative and presidential
\nelections would proceed as schedules.<\/p>\n
The legislative elections are slated for April 5, 2004, while
\nthe first round of the presidential election is scheduled for
\nJuly 5, with the runoff on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot afford to call off the elections because this would
\nonly disrupt our political life. So I urge all related national
\ninstitutions to stick to the schedule for the elections and
\nverify the political parties in accordance with the law,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She said that ahead of the country's first direct elections,
\npeople should prepare themselves by scrutinizing the candidates
\nand learning about their platforms.<\/p>\n
The President also met with her Tunisian counterpart Zine el
\nAbidine Ben Ali on Thursday, and during the talks the two voiced
\nsupport for Palestinians and called for the \"restoration of their
\nlegitimate rights\".<\/p>\n
Ben Ali also underlined \"the importance of international
\nsolidarity and the intensification of efforts in the global
\nbattle against terrorism\".<\/p>\n
Both countries have recently been targets of attacks for which
\nthe al-Qaeda network has claimed responsibility.<\/p>",
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