Megawati to begin first official domestic trip

Megawati to begin first official domestic trip

JAKARTA (JP): Newly elected President Megawati Soekarnoputri
will on Friday make her first official domestic trips to
Sumedang, West Java, Palu, Central Sulawesi and Makassar, South
Sulawesi.

According to the agenda, the President will be accompanied by
her husband Taufik Kiemas, her three children and some ministers
from the suspended cabinet, including Marzuki Usman (caretaker
minister of forestry), Erna Witoelar (caretaker minister of
resettlement and regional infrastructure), Manuel Kaisiepo
(caretaker junior minister for development of eastern Indonesia)
and Surjadi Soedirdja (caretaker minister of home affairs and
regional autonomy).

She will leave for the regency of Sumedang on Friday morning
to attend a graduation ceremony at the Institute of State
Administration at its campus in Jatinangor, Sumedang, some 15
kilometers east of the West Java capital of Bandung.

The President will then fly to Palu in the afternoon.

Central Sulawesi gubernatorial spokesman Burhanuddin Maragau
said that Megawati would open the annual meeting of the Sulawesi
Regional Development Cooperation Board.

"The meeting, which will end on Saturday, will evaluate the
results of the meetings held previously in Palu, Kendari
(Southeast Sulawesi) Manado (North Sulawesi) and Makassar.
Besides economy, the lingering conflict in Poso will also be
discussed in the meeting," Burhanuddin said.

The President is then slated to officiate several large
projects in Makassar and the regencies of Gowa and Maros in South
Sulawesi.

Observers speculated that Megawati, who is also chairwoman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) will
skip the fifth anniversary of the bloody attack on the party's
headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Jakarta.

On Aug. 27, 1996, the New Order regime-backed Indonesian
Democratic Party (led by Soerjadi) took over the headquarters
with the backup of the military and police. Many were killed in
the incident, while hundreds were reported missing in the
incident.

Meanwhile, sociologists and local figures said in Makassar
that the people would accept Megawati, despite the fact Makassar
students had once opposed Megawati as a presidential candidate in
the past.

"The students will openly accept Megawati. I guarantee there
will be no demonstration against her. The fact that Hamzah Haz
was elected Vice President will cool down the situation here,"
said M Darwis, a sociologist of Hasanuddin University.

Andi Rudiyanto Asapa, a respected local figure, shared his
opinion, saying that the public would accept Megawati. "We will
welcome Ibu Mega."

The President will officially open the Rp 340 billion water
treatment plant in Gowa before officiating at the start of
operations of the container port at the Soekarno-Hatta seaport.

South Sulawesi administration spokesman Syamsuddin said that
the President would also inaugurate the Rp 2.5 billion Babussalam
mosque at the port compound.

"She will also officially commence use of the Sekka-Sekka dam
in Polmas regency. The construction of the Rp 53 billion dam
began in 1991," Syamsuddin said.

"Three new bridges and one slaughter house will also be
inaugurated by the President." (24/27/sur)