Megawati brings big team overseas amid problems<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri will leave behind mounting
\ndomestic problems that include the migrant worker crisis when she
\nembarks on a whirlwind tour of six countries in Africa and Europe
\non Sunday.<\/p>\n
During her 15-day trip, the President will bring a sizable
\nentourage, including two special photographers and two cameramen
\nto provide family albums for the trip.<\/p>\n
Apart from the official entourage, some of the seats in the
\npresidential aircraft chartered from national flag carrier Garuda
\nwill be reserved for an advance team from the presidential office
\nthat is tasked with preparing the visit in each country.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is facing strained bilateral ties with Malaysia
\nfollowing an exchange of words between their state officials
\nwhich centered on Malaysia's expulsion of illegal Indonesian
\nworkers and the punishment imposed on them.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian People's Forum has questioned Megawati's
\nmission and accused her of sidelining a number of negotiators to
\nenable her friends and family to join the state-funded trip.<\/p>\n
As if to confirm the allegation, the long list of presidential
\ncompanions includes her daughter Puan Maharani, family friend
\nRetty Laksamana Sukardi, the wife of State Minister of State
\nEnterprises Laksamana Sukardi who is not in the team, political
\nobservers Rizal Mallarangeng and Cornelis Lay and businessman
\nYacub Nursalim, a brother of tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.<\/p>\n
A source said this time around the overseas trip would cost
\nthe state Rp 22 billion (US$2.4 million).<\/p>\n
The Alliance for New Indonesia estimated the President had
\nalready spent $22.8 million on foreign trips this year, but no
\nofficials would confirm the report.<\/p>\n
Megawati will make her first stop in Johannesburg, where she
\nwill be attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
\nIndonesia hosted the preparatory meeting for the summit in
\nDenpasar, Bali in April.<\/p>\n
The South African visit will be the most significant, compared
\nto the rest of the trip which will take her to Hungary, Algeria,
\nBosnia, Croatia and Egypt. A number of agreements or memorandums
\nof understanding (MoU) are expected to be signed during the trip.<\/p>\n
Leaving Johannesburg on Sept. 5, Megawati will visit Algiers
\nto meet President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a friend of her father,
\nfounding president Sukarno.<\/p>\n
She is also slated to sign four agreements, including
\ncooperation in the oil industry, since Indonesia has been
\nimporting crude oil from Algeria over the past two years.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 8, Megawati will fly to Hungary, where the two
\ncountries will sign two MoUs, but no definite time has been set
\nfor the meeting with President Freenc Madl and other high-ranking
\nofficials from the country.<\/p>\n
She will continue the trip to Bosnia, where she will spend
\nfive hours to view the Istiqal mosque, built by former Indonesian
\npresident Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Then she will head to Croatia on Sept. 10 and will stay in the
\ncountry for two days.<\/p>\n
The last leg of her trip will be Egypt, where there has yet to
\nbe any confirmation on a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak.
\nThere is, however, a confirmed visit to tourist sites such as
\nLuxor, Alexandria and a cruise along the river Nile. Foreign
\nminister Hassan Wirayuda once served as Indonesian ambassador to
\nEgypt.<\/p>\n
Unlike former president Abdurrahman Wahid, who was also widely
\ncriticized for his frequent and extensive overseas trips, but
\nnever stayed long in one country, Megawati will spend at least
\none day in each country to visit tourist resorts.<\/p>\n
This would be her seventh tour since she took office in July
\nlast year. Within the first year of her tenure, Megawati visited
\nmore than 20 countries.<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto made his first overseas trip after
\neight years in power, while his successor B.J. Habibie only went
\nabroad twice during his 16-month tenure.<\/p>",
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