Mega visit devastated earthquake-hit Nabire

Mega visit devastated earthquake-hit Nabire

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri visited victims of a major
earthquake in the Papua regency of Nabire on Thursday, almost one
month after the disaster rocked the remote town, claiming dozens
of lives.

For around one hour, Megawati met and spoke with the victims
at the local legislative council building.

She also visited the remains of Bhakti Mandala elementary
school and spent a moment with the students, who were studying in
a tent that had been erected as an emergency shelter.

An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit Nabire on
Feb. 6, wrecking many buildings in the regency and leaving
thousands of people homeless.

Some 37 people were killed and 82 others were injured in the
quake, which was declared a national disaster.

The government has allocated some Rp 100 billion
(US$117.6million) in reconstruction funds, particularly to
rebuild public facilities there.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who
accompanied Megawati on the visit, said that reconstruction would
begin next month.

Megawati's entourage also included Minister of Home Affairs
Hari Sabarno, State Minister for the Acceleration of Development
in Eastern Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo and Papua Governor JP
Salossa.

Megawati is on a tour across the country, just one week before
the campaign period for the general election which starts on
March 11. The general election falls on April 5.

The President is on the list of campaigners for the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) which she leads and poised
to win the unprecedented direct presidential election scheduled
for July 5.

Later in the day, in her capacity as PDI-P chairwoman Megawati
inaugurated the party's branch office in the Papua capital of
Jayapura, some 600 kilometers east of Nabire.

In her speech, she urged the party's members to work hard to
win the upcoming elections.

It has been common practice over the last few decades for
state officials, who also hold key party positions, to take
advantage of their official trips and state facilities to meet
their constituents.

Megawati and her entourage returned to Jakarta late on
Thursday.

On Friday, the President is slated to visit the West Java
towns of Cirebon, Sumedang and Bandung and will proceed to the
Central Java towns of Demak and Sukoharjo the next day.

A one-day trip to the war-torn province of Aceh will be her
agenda on Sunday, where she is slated to inaugurate a number of
development projects.

She will continue her trip to other major towns Lampung,
Palembang and Pekanbaru, all in Sumatra, on Monday.