Lavish ceremony for 3-day development award event
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 500 performers will present an operatic show to 20,000 spectators during a ceremony to mark the presentation of the highest development award, the Parasamya Purnakarya Nugraha, by President Soeharto to Governor Surjadi Soedirdja tomorrow.
"We're going to have a three-day celebration from Saturday on to express our gratitude," Djoko Broto Surjono, the organizer of the event, said yesterday.
The Jakarta administration will also ask residents to fly the nation's flag on Saturday to express their delight in the award.
Parasamya is the award given to provinces for outstanding achievement in the national development program during a period of five years.
Four hundred dancers from studios throughout Jakarta will perform Gebyar Parasamya (the Parasamya Hurrah) for the dignitaries and other people attending the event.
A number of well-known performers and comedians will also take part in the ceremony, which will be broadcast on state-owned TVRI's Programa 2 station.
Parachutists
As many as 30 professional parachutists will descend with banners in the middle of Saturday morning's ceremony.
"We've been waiting for this for 20 years," Djoko said, referring to the previous bestowing of the award on East Java (1974), Central Java (1979), West Sumatra (1984) and West Java (1989).
He said that ministers, foreign ambassadors, legislators, religious leaders, business people, informal leaders, artists, civil servants and military officers, as well as representatives of professional associations and youth groups, are invited to the ceremony.
"They're residents of Jakarta, so we invite them to share our joy," he said, adding that the official ceremony will be followed by another ceremony at the City Council.
"It's like marrying off our children. Maybe it is only once in a lifetime," he said with a laugh.
He added that another party will take place on Saturday night in the back part of the City Hall compound on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta. Food, a shadow puppet show and dangdut music performances will be offered to the public.
He said that dozens of organizations, including the three existing political groups, PPP, PDI and Golkar, will take part in a parade on Sunday to carry the award from the governor's office through the South, East, North, West and Central Jakarta mayoralties.
"We just want to show the people that we're proud of the success of development in the capital," said Djoko, who heads Jakarta's Inspector's Office. (09)