Megawati to stay overnight in Aceh
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is slated to make a visit to Aceh from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18 to enjoy the reigning peace nine days after the signing of the cessation of hostility agreement early this week.
The President considers the visit important in ensuring the peaceful situation after the signing of the peace accord, since previous presidents have never overnighted during their visits to the province.
Former president Soeharto visited the province several times during his 32-year tenure, but at no time did he spend a night in the province, and neither did succeeding presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
"The visit is scheduled for Dec.17, and the President will stay overnight in Banda Aceh and fly back to Jakarta on the next day," a Palace official who asked for anonymity told The Jakarta Post Wednesday.
However, the official was not able to provide a detailed agenda of the visit as it had not yet been confirmed.
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government signed a landmark peace agreement on Monday that could mean the end of the 26-year armed conflict in the northern province of Indonesia.
The people of Aceh held high hopes for peace when Megawati replaced Abdurrahman, as she once promised that she would stop the bloodshed in the province as soon as she became president. The signing may be considered as the fulfillment of Megawati's promise to the people of Aceh.
The coming visit will be the third one for Megawati to the war-torn province since she was appointed as President in July last year.
During her first visit last year, the President stayed for only a couple of hours and attended a mass gathering at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque of Banda Aceh, where she lashed out at several attendees who had interrupted her speech.
On her second visit, the President merely stayed for an hour at Blang Bintang airport to inaugurate several projects, including the initial flight of province-owned Seulawah NAD airways.
The official also revealed that Megawati was also scheduled to attend a Christmas celebration in Papua on Dec. 25.
"The President will also spend a night in Papua and return to Jakarta on Dec. 26," the official said.