President puts aside protocol to meet protesters<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri shrugged off security protocol to meet
\nhundreds of people who staged a protest across the street from
\nMerdeka Palace on Friday.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman insisted on meeting with employees of the defunct
\nministry of social services to assure them that the government
\nwould not let them suffer following the abolishment of their
\noffice.<\/p>\n
\"Why should I be afraid to meet them? They are my own
\nchildren,\" he responded to some palace officials who tried to
\nprevent him from leaving the compound.<\/p>\n
Presidential security guard chief Maj. Gen. Suwandi opened the
\npalace gate. The President had previously ordered guards to
\nremain unarmed and not to break up the demonstration violently.<\/p>\n
\"Our President is a bonek, so we must follow his order,\"
\nSuwandi said as he gave instructions to his staff. Bonek refers
\nto the Javanese acronym for a daring soccer fan.<\/p>\n
The dialog between the President with the protesters took
\nplace after the swearing-in ceremony of his Cabinet members at
\nthe State Guest House.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman and Megawati waved their hands to the crowd, who
\nwere protesting a few hundred meters away from the palace. First
\nLady Sinta Nuriyah and Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas also
\naccompanied their spouses.<\/p>\n
\"Madame Sinta used to participate in demonstrations despite
\nher poor health, so for her this is nothing new,\" said one of the
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
Nationwide protests broke out following Abdurrahman's decision
\nto scrap the ministry of information and ministry of social
\nservices from his 35-strong Cabinet. Among those taking to the
\nstreets on Friday were government employees in Central Java's
\ncapital of Semarang and West Sumatra's capital of Padang.<\/p>\n
\"Mr. President, please do not abandon us and our family,\" one
\nof the protesters' representatives told Abdurrahman. Another
\nrepresentative, a blind man, listened attentively to the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman insisted that he would not back down, but promised
\nhe would do his best for the 23,000 employees of the social
\nservices ministry and the other 50,000 staff members of the
\nministry of information.<\/p>\n
\"I will not let you suffer alone,\" the President assured them.<\/p>\n
Separately, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung met on Friday some 30 representatives of more than 5,000
\npeople who rallied against the ministry of social services'
\nclosure outside the legislative building.<\/p>\n
\"I understand that not all affairs can be handed over to
\nsociety or provincial administration since coordination is still
\nneeded at the national level,\" Akbar said, who is also the
\nchairman of the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman considered the abolishment of the information and
\nsocial services ministries to limit the government's control over
\nthe affairs of society.<\/p>\n
The President also based his decision on the fact that the
\ncentral government would give more authority to the regional
\nadministration as part of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
Disabled people and community based social workers also joined
\nthe rally at the House.<\/p>\n
The delegation told Akbar that even developed countries, such
\nas the United States, have their own social services.<\/p>\n
Yasril Ananta Baharuddin, the chairman of the House Commission
\nI for defense, security affairs and information told The Jakarta
\nPost that the commission would exercise its right to ask the
\nPresident to explain his decision to disband the two ministries.
\n(05\/28\/asa\/edt\/har\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-puts-aside-protocol-to-meet-protesters-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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