Megawati ill, to extend rest until Friday

JAKARTA (JP): "Megawati ill, unable to chair cabinet meeting," the news wires flashed on Thursday afternoon.

Palace officials quickly moved to calm the jitters saying the Vice President was merely down with the flu and needed rest after her tiring two-day trip to Bali.

But, while she may indeed need to physically recuperate, there were also inferences that her absence at such a critical juncture -- the eve of a presidential televised address, a mass gathering of Abdurrahman Wahid's supporters on Sunday and the impending censure of the President -- may not have been caused by the flu bug but rather a political one.

Her illness "conveniently" excuses her from having to accompany President Abdurrahman when he addresses the nation amid concerns of unrest due to the gathering of his supporters.

Vice presidential secretary Bambang Kesowo disclosed that Megawati might take an extended rest until Friday.

According to Bambang, the Vice President's team of doctors concluded she was exhausted from her trip to Bali.

"All her engagements were canceled. I'm not sure she'll be able to work tomorrow," said Bambang, who was summoned by Megawati to her residence after the seven-hour Cabinet meeting.

Such a coincidence has led some to suggest that the Vice President was deliberately distancing herself from the embattled President.

Megawati is not known to be of frail health. Thursday was one of the first times she has had to cancel her state duties on health grounds since becoming Vice President in 1999.

She regularly undergoes a health checkup at Mt. Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

There were no signs of frailty affecting the Vice President on Tuesday or Wednesday during her stay in Bali.

She looked at home and cheerful on the holiday island which remains one of her strongest political bases.

On Tuesday, she was seen sampling durian after a visit to Bedugul and then, before returning to Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon, she had lunch at the Dirty Duck Restaurant in Ubud.

She also took time out to buy several live ducks there which were flown back with her to Jakarta on her Air Force plane.

Megawati's personal physicians did not accompany her to Bali, but two beauticians were included in her entourage.

Megawati's stay in Bali until late on Wednesday afternoon also excused her from partaking in the weekly breakfast she has with Abdurrahman.

Her Wednesday schedule was, in fact, extremely light. Apart from a 20-minute official function in the morning, Megawati spent the rest of the day in Bali in relaxed manner by visiting a cultural site and having lunch.

Bizarrely, Abdurrahman in Jakarta, despite her absence, still persisted in having breakfast at her residence Wednesday morning.

Thursday's Cabinet meeting, which was attended by Abdurrahman, was chaired by Coordinating Minister for Social, Political and Security Affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Megawati's behalf.

Minister of Agriculture and Plantations Bungaran Saragih later indicated that Megawati's health was discussed and that the President was concerned and wanted to visit her.

Sources close to Megawati emphasized that she did not have a serious health problem and that it was a good way of politely distancing herself from the President.

Another source said Megawati did not want to be implicated in any possible confrontation between the President and the House of Representatives.

"She also wanted to send a strong signal to the President that she is tired with the President's problems and the negative comments often made by the President about her," said the source.

But, on the other hand, the source said Megawati did not want to publicly embarrass him, particularly by having to openly refuse to stand by his side during his televised address on Friday evening. (prb)