Megawati celebrates birthday modestly

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.