JP/4/scen15
Women's activist to enter politics
CIREBON, West Java: After actress Nurul Arifin joined up with the Golkar Party, activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana followed suit but said she had yet to decide which party she would join.
Nursyahbani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Women's Coalition (KPI), disclosed that many small political parties, and three larger parties -- Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) -- have invited her to join them.
Nursyahbani said she would likely sign on with PAN because she had pioneered women's empowerment in the party.
She said she would make a decision by December when the General Election Commission announced which parties were eligible for the elections.
Nursyahbani said she would encourage other activists to enter politics so that high quality women could fill the quota of 30 percent of seats in the House of Representatives. -- Antara
Embassy cancels National Day party
JAKARTA: The Singaporean Embassy in Jakarta has decided to cancel a reception to observe its National Day at the Shangri-La Hotel on Aug. 19 out of respect for the victims of the Aug. 5 JW Marriot Hotel blast.
The Embassy had already printed invitations for the reception and distributed them to government officials and other figures and diplomats several days before the tragedy.
In a special letter dated Aug. 13, however, Ambassador Edward Lee said that the embassy canceled the reception.
At least were 12 people killed and more than 140 others injured in the incident. --JP
;Antara;IWA; ANPAa..r.. Scene-pers-press
JP/4scen
KUHP contradicts press law
JAMBI CITY, Jambi: Law No. 40/1999 on the press can not be implemented smoothly if legal enforcers instead use the Criminal Code (KUHP) in dealing with violations within and against the mass media.
Vice Chairman of the Press Council RH Siregar said on Thursday that legal enforcers were accustomed to charging journalists for violations in their stories.
"Legal charges are based on article 55 of the KUHP which contradicts the press law. The press law requires the police and other law enforcers to charge publishing companies for the violation," he said.
Siregar said there would not be real press freedom if the press law was not fully implemented.
He called on the press community and the police to seek ways to amend either the KUHP or the press law so that there was better uniformity. --Antara