Mega delays returning home from Mecca
Mega delays returning home from Mecca
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was scheduled to arrive
home on Sunday after performing a minor pilgrimage in Saudi
Arabia, has delayed returning to Jakarta until Monday for
personal reasons, a presidential palace official said.
The official said on Sunday that there was no specific reason
for the delayed return, except that the President wanted to stay
a bit longer in Jeddah.
"There is no plan for a meeting with King Fahd on the
President's agenda, but she will stay longer in Jeddah and is
slated to arrive back in Jakarta on Monday morning," the official
told The Jakarta Post.
Megawati, accompanied by her husband, Taufik Kiemas, and other
family members, left for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on a minor
pilgrimage, or umrah, on Thursday evening and originally planned
to return home at around 11:20 a.m. on Sunday.
The presidential entourage stayed at the king's guest house
during the trip.
Earlier reports from Jeddah said King Fahd was keen to have
talks with Megawati to discuss Islamic and Arab issues, including
the possible deployment of troops to Iraq from Muslim countries.
However, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
repeatedly denied this, saying that the trip was a personal one
by Megawati to perform a minor pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia has proposed sending troops to Iraq to replace
United States-led multinational forces in the war-torn country.
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal reportedly said
that troops should be sent only at Baghdad's request and work
under the auspices of the United Nations.
Indonesia, which strongly opposes the Iraq invasion by the
U.S., has shown no interest in sending security personnel to
Iraq, saying that a peacekeeping force should be sent there only
when peace was restored in the war-wracked country.
The world's most populous Muslim country also said that
Indonesian troops should be sent to Iraq as part of a UN "blue
helmet" peacekeeping force.
Megawati and the entourage are slated to land on Monday at 6
a.m. at the Halim Perdanakusumah air base in East Jakarta.
Upon her arrival, the President is scheduled to meet various
state guests at the Palace, including visiting Miss Universe 2004
Jennifer Hawkins.
She is also slated to hold a meeting with National Mandate
Party (PAN) leader Amien Rais some time next week to discuss
possible cooperation ahead of the presidential election run-off
on Sept. 20.
Megawati, who came second in the first round of the
presidential election, is facing a tough battle against her
former chief security minister, front-runner Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, in the second round of the presidential race.