Mega delays returning home from Mecca<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was scheduled to arrive
\nhome on Sunday after performing a minor pilgrimage in Saudi
\nArabia, has delayed returning to Jakarta until Monday for
\npersonal reasons, a presidential palace official said.<\/p>\n
The official said on Sunday that there was no specific reason
\nfor the delayed return, except that the President wanted to stay
\na bit longer in Jeddah.<\/p>\n
\"There is no plan for a meeting with King Fahd on the
\nPresident's agenda, but she will stay longer in Jeddah and is
\nslated to arrive back in Jakarta on Monday morning,\" the official
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Megawati, accompanied by her husband, Taufik Kiemas, and other
\nfamily members, left for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on a minor
\npilgrimage, or umrah, on Thursday evening and originally planned
\nto return home at around 11:20 a.m. on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The presidential entourage stayed at the king's guest house
\nduring the trip.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports from Jeddah said King Fahd was keen to have
\ntalks with Megawati to discuss Islamic and Arab issues, including
\nthe possible deployment of troops to Iraq from Muslim countries.<\/p>\n
However, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
\nrepeatedly denied this, saying that the trip was a personal one
\nby Megawati to perform a minor pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia has proposed sending troops to Iraq to replace
\nUnited States-led multinational forces in the war-torn country.<\/p>\n
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal reportedly said
\nthat troops should be sent only at Baghdad's request and work
\nunder the auspices of the United Nations.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which strongly opposes the Iraq invasion by the
\nU.S., has shown no interest in sending security personnel to
\nIraq, saying that a peacekeeping force should be sent there only
\nwhen peace was restored in the war-wracked country.<\/p>\n
The world's most populous Muslim country also said that
\nIndonesian troops should be sent to Iraq as part of a UN \"blue
\nhelmet\" peacekeeping force.<\/p>\n
Megawati and the entourage are slated to land on Monday at 6
\na.m. at the Halim Perdanakusumah air base in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Upon her arrival, the President is scheduled to meet various
\nstate guests at the Palace, including visiting Miss Universe 2004
\nJennifer Hawkins.<\/p>\n
She is also slated to hold a meeting with National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) leader Amien Rais some time next week to discuss
\npossible cooperation ahead of the presidential election run-off
\non Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who came second in the first round of the
\npresidential election, is facing a tough battle against her
\nformer chief security minister, front-runner Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, in the second round of the presidential race.<\/p>",
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