Mega wants death for drug dealers

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri repeated on Saturday her earlier demand that drug dealers be sentenced to death in an effort to effectively eradicate the misuse of narcotics in the country.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of National Family Day in Gorontalo province, she called on the public at large to help the authorities enforce the law against drug users and distributors.

Megawati said the number of cases of people falling victim to narcotic had increased. She did not quote any figures.

A number of drug dealers and users have been sentenced to death by the courts, including the district court in Tangerang, Banten province. However, none of those sentenced have been executed.

Megawati also claimed that at least eight million, or 19 percent, of the country's 40 million families still live in backwardness and under the poverty line.

During the visit to Gorontalo, the President was accompanied by her husband Taufik Kiemas and several ministers. Some foreign ambassadors in Jakarta and governors attended the ceremony. --Antara