Megawati celebrates birthday modestly

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Sukarnoputri lived up to her status as the chairwoman of a political party that claims close ties to the poor whe she celebrated her birthday on Wednesday.

Megawati celebrated her 55th birthday with street children and orphans at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)'s headquarters on Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta.

Around 300 children greeted Megawati by singing happy birthday in unison as she arrived.

Her face wreathed in a smile, the President stepped towards the children, who then shook her hand to congratulate her.

PDI Perjuangan, which topped the poll in the 1999 elections, always claims to be one with the poor.

The children not only enjoyed the rare opportunity of meeting the country's President face-to-face, but each received a gift parcel containing, among other things, clothes and copy books.

Those attending the celebration included PDI Perjuangan figures Kwik Kian Gie, who also heads the National Development Planning Board, Theo Toemion, who chairs the Capital Market Supervisory Agency, and Pramono Anung, who is a House of Representative legislator. Political expert Rizal Mallarangeng was also present, but Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas was absent.

It was business as usual as Megawati presided over a Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat earlier in the day.

Vice President Hamzah Haz was the only Cabinet member who missed the chance to congratulate Megawati as he was taking a rest after a tiring visit to a number of towns across the country.

Megawati was born in Yogyakarta on Jan. 23, 1947; the second child of founding president Sukarno and Fatmawati.