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)