Mega 'too busy' for Habibie invitation

JAKARTA (JP): Opposition figure Megawati Soekarnoputri has declined several recent invitations to meet President B.J. Habibie, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said yesterday.

The President had invited Megawati in her capacity as one of the country's most prominent leaders and a daughter of the country's first president, Sukarno, Akbar added.

Habibie wished to meet with the late Sukarno's children as he has known them personally for a long time.

The first invitation was turned down due to other commitments.

"I am rather busy Bang (brother) Akbar. I have appointments with several embassies here," Akbar said in recounting Megawati's response.

"Then I told her that whenever she had free time to please inform me," he recalled without revealing when the conversation took place.

Akbar said Habibie then suggested inviting another one of Sukarno's offspring.

"The President said if Ibu Megawati was too busy, then how about Guntur," he said in referring to Sukarno's eldest son.

Akbar's discussion of Guntur Soekarnoputra stopped there, and there was no confirmation if Guntur was contacted.

Habibie's intention to meet Megawati was apparently sincere. Akbar said he even went to the trouble of calling Megawati's husband, Taufik Kiemas, to try to enlist his help in convincing her to accept.

"Her husband is a close friend of mine, you see," he told journalists.

"I called him up and asked: 'Pak Taufik, if nyonya (your wife) has time, please, tell her the President really wants to have a meeting with her'."

It is not known whether Akbar also tried to approach Bayu Soekarnoputra, another of Sukarno's children and Megawati's half brother, who coincidentally is a member of Akbar's staff at the State Secretariat.

Bayu is known to keep a low profile, and many acquaintances do not realize his identity.

Haryanto Taslam, one of Megawati's top aides, has said that Megawati would only meet with Habibie in a legitimate capacity as the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Megawati was ousted by Soerjadi from the leadership during a government-backed congress in Medan, North Sumatra, in 1996.

Despite allowing changes in the country's political arena, Habibie's government continues to recognize only the Soerjadi's faction of the PDI leadership.

Akbar also indicated that other government critics, including former minister of mines and energy Subroto and his close associates, had begged off on an invitation to meet with Habibie.

"Pak Broto apologized for not being to come because many of his friends were still out of town," Akbar said. He added that Habibie was always open to meetings and dialogs with everybody. (prb)