Idul Fitri for presidents past and present<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Idul Fitri Muslim holiday on Tuesday will be
\nthe first for B.J. Habibie as President of Indonesia. It will
\nalso be the first for Soeharto as an ordinary citizen after
\ncelebrating it as the head of state for 32 consecutive years.<\/p>\n
Soeharto and an entourage of 150 people are expected to arrive
\non Monday in Surakarta, Central Java, to greet the holiday --
\nknown locally as Lebaran -- at his private mansion Dalem Kalitan.<\/p>\n
The former president, his six children, 12 grandchildren and
\none great grandchild, along with other family members, are
\nplanning to say their Idul Fitri prayer at Al Fajar Mosque in the
\nDalem Kalitan complex.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, President Habibie and his wife Hasri Ainun Besari
\nwill spend the Lebaran at their private residence in Kuningan,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The First Family will... not hold an open house, but it will
\nbe difficult for Bapak and Ibu to refuse well-wishers,\" a Palace
\nofficial said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Along with sons Ilham Akbar and Thariq Kemal and their
\nspouses, Habibie and Ainun will say their prayer at the Istiqlal
\nMosque in Central Jakarta. Ilham's children, Nadia, 6, and Pasha,
\n2, are also expected to join their grandparents.<\/p>\n
While in Surakarta, Soeharto's family plans to hold a
\nreligious service to remember the late Tien Soeharto, who died on
\nApril 28, 1996. The 1,000th day commemoration of her demise will
\nfall on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Sources close to Soeharto's family acknowledged that even if
\nthe former president chose to spend Lebaran at his private
\nresidence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta, not many people,
\nincluding his former cronies, could be expected to visit to wish
\nhim well.<\/p>\n
However, Habibie himself has openly said he planned to visit
\nhis former mentor for Idul Fitri. Minister of Defense\/Armed
\nForces Commander Gen. Wiranto is also expected to turn up; he
\nsometimes visits Cendana as he is a friend of the former
\npresident.<\/p>\n
What are the most serious problems facing Soeharto and Habibie
\nin celebrating this Lebaran?<\/p>\n
\"We hope that protesters will be too busy to disturb the
\nfamily's activities at Dalem Kalitan,\" a source close to
\nSoeharto's family said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Also on Saturday, the Republika daily reported that Solo
\nactivists planned to stage a demonstration against Soeharto's
\nvisit.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo said here on
\nFriday that there were no plans to lay on special security
\narrangements for the former president, but he appealed to locals
\nto respect Soeharto and his family entourage.<\/p>\n
Moedrick S.M. Sangidoe, a popular politician here, was quoted
\nas saying he supported the protest, providing it did not disrupt
\npublic order.<\/p>\n
\"I'm all for it (the protest),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Central Java Governor Mardiyanto said he would not
\nattach any special importance to the former president's visit.<\/p>\n
\"I have other more important things to look into. Like floods,
\nlandslides and damaged roads in the wake of the (Idul Fitri)
\nexodus,\" he said. He said that military commander Brig. Gen.
\nBibit Waluyo should not provide \"excessive\" security for the
\nvisit because the city's residents had \"exemplary tolerance.\"<\/p>\n
As for Habibie, \"The most threatening problem for the First
\nFamily is Pak Habibie's habit of tasting all the food provided
\nfor the guests,\" said a palace official.<\/p>\n
What are Soeharto's moods these days?<\/p>\n
\"It was (once) his dream to be buried as the country's
\npresident,\" a loyal aide recently said.<\/p>\n
Tien Soeharto was buried in a grand state ceremony and treated
\nas a national heroine. The lengthy ceremony was broadcast live by
\nthe country's six television stations, and patriotic songs and
\nmournful music were repeatedly aired for days, while newspapers
\nand magazines were plastered with advertised condolences.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen whether 77-year-old, five-star Gen.
\n(ret) Soeharto, will receive such an emotional and tearful
\nfarewell.<\/p>\n
Will Habibie still be president in the next Lebaran?<\/p>\n
The presidential election is scheduled to be held in November,
\nwhile the next Lebaran will fall on January.<\/p>\n
Habibie has not clearly stated whether he will seek to be re-
\nelected. Many observers say the country's economic improvement
\nwill be a key factor in earning him another term. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/idul-fitri-for-presidents-past-and-present-1447893297",
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