Megawati opens expo on Sukarno

JAKARTA (Antara): President Megawati Soekarnoputri opened a month-long painting and photographic exhibition in honor of her father, the late president Sukarno, at the Proklamasi building here on Tuesday afternoon.

In her opening remarks, President Megawati spoke about her father's hobby as an artist but stopped short of evaluating him as one of the country's founding fathers.

"Let the people think, let them hear, read and speak about who our founding father named Sukarno was," Megawati said.

Speaking about Sukarno's role as an artist, Megawati said her father had close relations with most noted national and international artists, especially painters.

The President also said that since his youth, Sukarno had been impassioned with the idea of maintaining world peace.

Vice President Hamzah Haz as well as Guruh and Guntur, two of Sukarno's sons, were also present at the event.