Mega departs for Bali vacation<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Confident of entering the likely runoff poll in September,
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri was flown in the presidential
\nplane to the country's resort island of Bali, on Friday, for a
\nthree-day vacation.<\/p>\n
Megawati, accompanied by her grandchildren and daughter-in-law
\nSri Laksmi Dewi, the wife of Megawati's eldest son Mohammad Rizky
\nPratama, will stay at the five-star Conrad Hotel at Tanjung
\nBenoa.<\/p>\n
Her husband, Taufik Kiemas, is scheduled to leave for Bali on
\nSaturday (today), while her daughter, Puan Maharani, left on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The president's office said on Friday that Megawati was not
\nexpected to attend any state events in the next three days.<\/p>\n
\"The President is slated to return on Sunday. She will be at
\nthe palace on Monday,\" a staff member of the office said.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu is tired, and she wants to rest for a while,\" one of her
\nclose aides told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
During the month-long campaign period that ended on July 1,
\nMegawati, seeking a full five-year term, traveled extensively
\nwithin the country.<\/p>\n
She is currently ranked second in the provisional tally and
\nexpected to qualify for the second round of the presidential
\nelection scheduled for Sept. 20, along with former coordinating
\nminister for political and security affairs Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono.<\/p>\n
Aside from Megawati and Susilo, other candidates contesting
\nthe country's first direct presidential election on July 5 were
\nWiranto, Amien Rais and Hamzah Haz.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that the presidential entourage arrived at
\nNgurah Rai airport at 11:30 a.m., with Bali Governor Dewa Beratha
\ngreeting Megawati.<\/p>\n
Bali is the PDI-P's stronghold and Megawati has, so far,
\nsecured around 45 percent of the vote there.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-departs-for-bali-vacation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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