Mega to 'tour' regions before official campaign

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Fitri Wulandari The Jakarta Post Jakarta

A week before the March 11 campaign period kicks off, President Megawati Soekarnoputri is slated to tour several provinces for working visits, but will spare one or two hours on each visit to meet her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) members.

Megawati will start her week-long journey on Wednesday with visits to South Sulawesi and Maluku, where she is also scheduled to attend a gathering with PDI-P supporters.

The President is also the PDI-P leader, which is gunning to win the April 5 general election as it did in 1999.

Campaigning will end on April 1, followed by three-day cooling-off period.

On Thursday, after visiting the quake-devastated district of Nabire in Papua, Megawati is slated to inaugurate a PDI-P branch office there.

"Up through March 10, the President will have a busy schedule visiting regions across the country. Some party events will be squeezed into the schedule," a presidential palace official told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, the President is slated to visit West Java and the war-torn province of Aceh. Further visits to Central Java, South Sumatra and Riau will be made next week.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has asked all parties to refrain from any activities to entice new voters.

All government officials will be banned from using state facilities when they campaign for their respective parties, except for the president's security detail, as well as that of the vice president and members of their families.

Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas will also be busy touring the country during the campaign period and he will make use of the security detail provided for him.

PDI-P secretary general Soetjipto said that Megawati's activities should not be an issue, as she was still the President and to do her duties by visiting regions.

"There is no problem just as current practice she will continue to be on standby during the campaign period," Soetjipto remarked.

The party has prepared around 600 national campaigners for the 20-day campaign period, before the legislative election on April 5.

Separately, Vice President Hamzah Haz will also campaign for the United Development Party (PPP). He will take turns with Megawati traveling outside the capital to campaign.

Hamzah said he would only campaign a few hours a day and fly back each night, but would still work out a staggered schedule with Megawati.

"We will ensure that the government will run as usual and both me and Megawati will take turns making trips for campaigning," he said.

Due to the absence of the regulation for both the president and vice president to take a leave, the government decided that both officials could conduct their campaigns between state duties.