Officials and regular people visit Susilo at State Palace<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
State officials and their spouses as well as lower-income people
\nwaited for up to two hours in front of the State Palace on Sunday
\nto greet President Susilo Bambang on the first day of Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
Several Cabinet ministers, legislators and other high-ranking
\nofficials, wearing their Sunday best, had to wait for more than
\n45 minutes to meet the president after the palace was opened at
\n9:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
\"We have to delay the schedule from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. as
\nthe President is still visiting Cipinang penitentiary,\" said a
\npalace spokesperson, to the disappointment of the waiting
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
However, they continued to wait, with some wiping beads of
\nsweat off their brows on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n
The long line began to move briskly as palace door was opened
\nwith Susilo, First Lady Kristiani Herawati and son Agus Harymurti
\nstanding at the center of the foyer to greet guests.<\/p>\n
Aside from Cabinet members, House of Representatives Speaker
\nAgung Laksono, Golkar Party leader Akbar Tandjung and former
\nGolkar presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto were among the
\nguests.<\/p>\n
A handful of legislators were seen among the well-wishers, but
\nonly two legislators -- Noviantika Nasution and Roy B.B Janis --
\nfrom former president Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) were seen among the guests.<\/p>\n
Vocal PDI-P executive Kwik Kian Gie and former PDI-P leader
\nHaryanto Taslam also came to greet Susilo, who defeated PDI-P's
\nMegawati in the election on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
The original schedule for high-ranking officials was between
\n9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., but the guests had already come and gone by
\naround 12 noon.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, some 2,000 regular people -- some wearing
\nrubber sandals and sarongs -- came to greet the President. Unlike
\nhigh-ranking officials in the morning, who waited for around
\n45 minutes, everyone else had to wait under the scorching sun for
\nalmost two hours.<\/p>\n
And so, when palace staff finally invited the people in at
\naround 1 p.m., at least seven persons had fainted.<\/p>\n
On their way, officials handed out snacks and drinks for the
\npeople who had been waiting for hours to meet Susilo.<\/p>\n
Palace officials said they had expected some 5,000 people,
\nbut only around 2,000 showed up.<\/p>\n
The annual tradition for VIPs to receive guests during Idul
\nFitri started during the leadership of former president Soeharto,
\nwho used the meetings to show that he was really supported by the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was forced to resign in May 1998 after leading the
\ncountry for more than three decades. The practice lingered on
\neven after Soeharto's fall.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, former president Megawati was also busy at her
\nresidence on Jl.Teuku Umar on Sunday morning and at Kebagusan
\nlater that day welcoming well-wishers.<\/p>\n
Akbar, Agung and Prabowo immediately went to her residence on
\nJl. Teuku Umar after greeting Susilo at the Palace.<\/p>\n
Several Cabinet ministers also came to greet her. They were
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Energy
\nand Natural Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Minister of
\nTransportation Hatta Radjasa.<\/p>\n
The three were also members of Megawati's Cabinet from July
\n2001 to October 2004.<\/p>\n
Some ambassadors from neighboring countries also came to greet
\nMegawati, still the PDI-P leader.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-and-regular-people-visit-susilo-at-state-palace-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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