Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono began their respective campaigns with little fanfare on
\nTuesday, spending much of the time preparing for the \"dialog\" on
\nTuesday evening that have been sponsored by the General Elections
\nCommission (KPU).<\/p>\n
President Megawati opened her day by attending the launch of a
\nbook titled Pesan untuk Presiden 2004-2009 (Messages for the
\n2004-2009 President) at the vice presidential offices on Tuesday
\nmorning. Vice President Hamzah Haz also attended the book launch<\/p>\n
Susilo, meanwhile, began the day with the recording of a
\nspeech at the MetroTV studios starting at 11 a.m. After the
\nrecording session, Susilo returned home to prepare for the 9 p.m.
\ntelevision dialog.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, all the presidential and vice presidential
\ncandidates participated in the dialog, when they gave cursory
\nexplanations of their views on political life, human rights and
\nsecurity issues.<\/p>\n
The book Pesan untuk Presiden is a compilation of articles and
\ninterviews in which 18 noted scholars, academics and businessmen
\nstate their views on what the next president needs to do for the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Edited by vice presidential advisor for political affairs
\nWahyudi Ruwiyanto, the hardcover book is published by state-owned
\nprinter Balai Pustaka.<\/p>\n
\"I was asking myself, for whom is this book intended. But
\nsince I am here attending its launch, hopefully this is for me,\"
\nMegawati said in a rare off-the-cuff speech.<\/p>\n
Megawati is seeking a full five-year term in the Sept. 20
\nelection. According to some opinion polls, however, she is
\ntrailing behind Susilo, her former coordinating minister for
\npolitical and security affairs.<\/p>\n
Among the noted personages who contributed to the book are
\nIndonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Juwono Sudarsono,
\nMuslim cleric Azyumardi Azra, legal expert Achmad Ali and
\nbusinessman Aburizal Bakrie.<\/p>\n
After attending the book launch, the President went to the
\nPalace where she held a 30-minute meeting with State Minister for
\nWomen's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto and a group of women's
\nactivists.<\/p>\n
Megawati also met around 250 Chinese Indonesians from the
\nIndonesian Haka Union, when she promised once again that she
\nwould ensure there would be no more discrimination against
\nChinese Indonesians.<\/p>\n
\"I would also urge Chinese Indonesians to not exclude
\nthemselves from the community, and to provide various services
\nlike becoming civil servants or joining the police force,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who came to power in 2001, is often seen as a
\ndefender of minority groups due to her strong nationalist
\nbackground, while her running mate Muslim cleric Hasyim Muzadi is
\nseen as a pluralistic figure.<\/p>\n
The association's chairman, Sugeng Prananto, said that most of
\nthe union's six million members were in favor of Megawati. \"We
\nsupport her administration,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, campaigners for the Megawati-Hasyim ticket were
\nbusy distributing posters, leaflets and other campaign
\nparaphernalia across the country on Tuesday, the first day of a
\nthree-day official campaign period ahead of the Sept. 20
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Susilo's campaign team invited the public at large
\nin Makassar, South Sulawesi, to voice whatever criticisms they
\nmight have of the ticket during the three-day campaign period,
\narguing that such criticism would help the pair to be more
\nresponsive.<\/p>\n
The head of the Susilo-Kalla campaign committee in Makassar,
\nHasyim Manggabarani, said that all suggestions would be welcome.<\/p>\n
\"We will ask for the public's opinions on the pair's
\nweaknesses,\" said Hasyim.<\/p>\n
He said that his committee would also keep the public informed
\nabout positive steps taken by the pairing should they win the
\nelection.<\/p>",
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