Mega to host meeting with DPR

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri is to host a consultation meeting with House of Representatives' leaders at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday to discuss various topical issues.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the top security minister in Megawati's Cabinet, confirmed the holding of the regular consultation meeting but declined to go into details.

Reliable sources in the legislature said that the consultation meeting would focus on the loss of Sipadan and Ligitan islands, the Dec. 9, 2002, peace accord between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh, and the implementation of special autonomy in Papua.

The House has suddenly started questioning Indonesia's decision to bring the Sipadan/Ligatan dispute before the International Court of Justice. It has also questioned the Aceh peace accord as it was never endorsed by the House.

The House will also question the decision to suspend the carving up of Papua into three provinces as the relevant legislation has already been signed by the President. --JP