Megawati visits Air Force cadets<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\ncompleted her tour of four military and police academies, with a
\nvisit on Friday to the Air Force Academy here.<\/p>\n
Megawati described her trip to the academy and the sultanate
\ntown where she was born on Jan. 23, 1947 as a reminiscence of her
\nyouth when she accompanied her father, the founding president, in
\na meeting with cadets there.<\/p>\n
\"About 33 years ago I made my first visit to this academy,\"
\nMegawati recalled in a pensive but clear voice.<\/p>\n
Megawati was here to open the congress of the provincial
\nbranch of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) that she chairs.<\/p>\n
A few months before her visit to the Air Force Academy in the
\ntown's eastern suburb of Maguwo, Megawati visited the National
\nMilitary Academy (AMN) in Magelang, some 40 kilometers north of
\nhere and the National Police Academy in Semarang, the capital of
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
She sojourned to the Navy Academy in Surabaya on Monday,
\nhours before opening the National Sports Games (PON) in that
\ncity.<\/p>\n
The Vice President recently complained that she could only
\nvisit provinces while President Abdurrahman Wahid has visited
\ndozens of foreign countries.<\/p>\n
She will make her first formal visit to Singapore on Sunday.
\nThe President also selected the island state as his first foreign
\ndestination after his election in October.<\/p>\n
\"I want to have a face-to-face meeting with all of you, and
\nconvey my hope and my message,\" Megawati said after having lunch
\nwith the young officers.<\/p>\n
As guest of honor, the Vice President was requested by the
\ncadets to plant a sapodilla tree, locally called sawo kecik.<\/p>\n
During her visit to Yogyakarta, she was flanked by Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) Chief Admiral Widodo A.S., Air Force Chief Marshal
\nHanafi Asnan and Air Force Academy Governor Rear Air Marshal
\nGaharudin Gunawan.<\/p>\n
Later in the day Megawati held a 30 minute-discussion with
\nWidodo.<\/p>\n
The admiral canceled his planned press conference due to poor
\ncommunication between vice presidential protocol officials and
\nTNI information officers. (swa\/prb)<\/p>",
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