Country's leaders to open homes to people on Idul Fitri

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In upholding the annual tradition, the country's present and former VIPs will hold open houses for people who wish to greet them during the Idul Fitri holiday on Sunday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to lead the Idul Fitri morning prayer on Nov. 14 at Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta, and will receive foreign ambassadors and state officials from 9:30 a.m. at the State Palace.

He will open his doors to well-wishers starting from 4:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla is also arranging to hold an open house at his official residence on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

"But the exact schedule will be arranged later, as it is still being discussed," a vice presidential aide said on Thursday.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri is also slated to receive guests on Sunday at two separate residences in Central Jakarta and South Jakarta. She is now in Europe on holiday and is scheduled to return on Saturday.

After the Idul Fitri prayer, she will receive guests starting from 10 a.m. at her official residence on Jl. Teuku Umar and head south later in the day to her private residence on Jl. Kebagusan.

Former presidents Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and Soeharto will also receive guests on the first day of Idul Fitri at their respective residences in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, and on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

Soeharto was last seen in public on Tuesday, when he paid final respects to former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Wahono.

Judges declared Soeharto too ill to stand trial for corruption over funds he had allegedly embezzled during his presidency, which came to an end in May 1998 following massive rallies and riots across the archipelago.