G-15 summit to proceed as planned amid doubt<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Preparations and pre-meeting events for the
\nGroup of 15 summit proceeded full steam ahead over the weekend,
\ndespite the fate of the summit itself seemingly stuttering as
\nanother head of state canceled his attendance.<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe became the latest no-show,
\nwhich could make the planned Jakarta meeting one of the most
\nsparsely attended G-15 summits of developing nations.<\/p>\n
AFP quoted the Zimbabwe's state-run Sunday Mail as reporting
\nthat Mugabe decided to cancel his attendance due to the death of
\nZimbabwe's Defense Minister Moven Mahachi in a car crash on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Mahachi is one of the most senior ministers in the Zimbabwe
\ncabinet, having been in government since the southern African
\ncountry became independent in 1980.<\/p>\n
Mugabe himself was due to leave for Jakarta on Sunday for the
\ntwo-day summit which begins on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The latest cancellations means that there are only seven
\nconfirmations of attendance from heads of state or government.
\nThis includes Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The G-15 comprises 19 member states -- Algeria, Argentina,
\nBrazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica,
\nKenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka,
\nVenezuela, and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
The foreign leaders due to attend are Nigerian President
\nOlusegun Obasanjo, Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade, Venezuela
\nHugo Chavez, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Egyptian
\nPrime Minister Atef Ebeid and Jamaican Prime Minister James
\nPatterson.<\/p>\n
Barring further sudden cancellations, the last-mentioned
\nleader is expected to be the first to arrive here, touching down
\nat Sukarno-Hatta Airport on Monday.<\/p>\n
The other leaders should arrive on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The arrival of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is also
\nin doubt as there are reports he will be substituted by a senior
\nranking state official, expected to be the speaker of the
\nparliament.<\/p>\n
Most of the leaders are expected to return home on Friday with
\nthe Jamaican president due to be the last to leave on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The other member states will be represented by high-ranking
\nstate officials.<\/p>\n
Argentina will be represented by Vice President Mario Anibal
\nLosada, Brazil by Vice President Marco Maciel, Colombia by Vice
\nPresident Andres Pastrana Arango, India by Vice President Krishan
\nKant and Iran by Vice President Hasan Habibi.<\/p>\n
While run-up events, such as a business expo and meeting of
\nbusiness leaders have already been in progress since Friday, the
\nnitty-gritty formal talks ahead of the summit are expected to
\npeak on Monday, with the convening of a Foreign Ministers'
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Ministers, along with personal representatives of
\nthe leaders, will be tweaking the final points to the joint
\ncommunique and the first ever declaration issued in the group's
\n12-year history -- The Jakarta Declaration.<\/p>\n
The Declaration is expected to highlight the G-15 leaders'
\ncommitment to close the digital divide between developing and
\ndeveloped countries, and promote the growth of information
\ntechnology to overcome development problems.<\/p>\n
The joint communique, due to be issued by the heads of
\ndelegation, is expected to express concern for the growing
\ndisparity in the information technology and communications field,
\nalong with other matters of concern to developing countries, such
\nas multilateral trade and the World Trade Organization.<\/p>\n
Skepticism among many circles here surrounding the G-15 summit
\ncenters on the fact that Indonesia itself is in a state of
\npolitical turmoil as it hosts the international summit.<\/p>\n
As the G-15 leaders convene on Wednesday at the Jakarta Hilton
\nConvention Center, Indonesian legislators just a few hundred
\nmeters away will decide whether to call for a special session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly that could seal Abdurrahman's
\nfate.<\/p>\n
The situation not only provides a potential powder keg but
\nalso embarrassment for the embattled Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab stated on Sunday,
\nafter attending the opening of a trade exhibition as part of the
\nG-15 meeting, that many delegations had expressed concern about
\nthe situation, but he had assured them that the situation overall
\nwas normal.<\/p>\n
Alwi claimed he had convinced foreign delegates that Indonesia
\nwas well-versed in overcoming conflict through consensus, so they
\nshould not be overly worried. (mds)<\/p>",
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