Government, Assembly ready for annual sessions<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is expected to highlight the
\nachievements of her government during the past 100 days in office
\nin her accountability speech before the People's Consultative
\nAssembly on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 40-page speech draft, a copy of which was seen by The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday, also presents the problems encountered
\nby the government following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the
\nU.S.<\/p>\n
Megawati will also report on the security situation, human
\nrights issues, the government's stance on the Afghanistan crisis,
\nregional autonomy, the current economic condition as well as the
\neffects to be felt from the possible global recession.<\/p>\n
For the economic issues, Megawati will provide a separate
\nexplanation on statistical figures and other developments.<\/p>\n
Megawati's speech was prepared by 11 ministers at the Hilton
\nInternational Hotel in South Jakarta on Wednesday, where the
\nPresident, Vice President Hamzah Haz and the ministers are
\nstaying during the Assembly's Annual Session.<\/p>\n
Among the ministers that joined the draft of the speech
\nincluded the three coordinating ministers, Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno,
\nIndonesian Military chief Adm. Widodo A.S., Minister of Finance
\nBoediono, and State Minister of National Development
\nPlanning\/Bappenas chairman Kwik Kian Gie.<\/p>\n
Every minister prepared a two-page report on their respective
\nfields and submitted it to the President, who, together with her
\nassistants, summarized the entire speech.<\/p>\n
Hamzah did not play a significant role in the making of the
\naccountability speech as one of the presidential staff members
\ntold the Post that the Vice President \"did not have anything to
\nsay\".<\/p>\n
The government's team, including the ministers, is occupying
\n33 rooms at the hotel for five days from Oct. 30.<\/p>\n
The hotel's media relations officer, Albertus Ade Widya, said
\nthat only government officials and no Assembly members were
\nstaying at the hotel.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Assembly secretary-general Eddy Siregar said
\nthe President was scheduled to deliver the accountability speech
\nat 11.30 a.m. on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Staff members from the secretary-general's office on Wednesday
\nwere putting the final touches on decorations for the Annual
\nSession.<\/p>\n
Some worked indoors, arranging the name tags for lawmakers and
\nadjusting the seats as well as the microphones on the podium.
\nOthers worked outdoors, arranging flowers and the red carpet in
\nthe Assembly building.<\/p>\n
Sugeng Cahyono, one of the staff members assigned to check the
\ncondition of the podium and the seats of the Assembly leaders,
\nsaid: \"Everything is going well.\"<\/p>\n
Security officers were also seen in the Assembly building,
\ninstalling the screening monitor of an X-ray scanner to check
\nvisitors' belongings.<\/p>\n
Staff members from television and radio stations were busy
\nerecting temporary offices in the lobby of the Assembly building.<\/p>\n
As with Assembly sessions in the past, the moment is also used
\nby businesspeople to promote their products or win over new
\nconsumers.<\/p>\n
Seven booths have been set up for marketing purposes. They
\ninclude computer distributor Astragraphia, Telkomsel, Air Mancur
\nherbal products, Bank Mandiri, Jialing motorcycles and Hyundai.<\/p>\n
A total of 252 print and electronic media have been registered
\nto cover the 10-day Annual Session.<\/p>\n
It means that a total of over 1,000 reporters and media
\nsupport staff will crowd the Assembly building, including 553
\nreporters from the domestic print media, 608 crew members from
\nthe electronic media and 70 foreign journalists.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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