Megawati to visit three provinces

Megawati to visit three provinces

GORONTALO, Gorontalo: President Megawati Soekarnoputri is
scheduled to make a working visit to the provinces of Central
Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Sulawesi on Saturday and Sunday.

Megawati's itinerary, issued by the Presidential Secretariat
on Friday, said the head of state would leave Jakarta on Saturday
morning for Tomini Bay via Gorontalo and the Togean Island in
Central Sulawesi.

The President will travel to Tomini Bay from Gorontalo aboard
the Navy warship, KRI Tanjung Dampele.

Accompanied by Minister of Marine Resources and Fishery
Rokhmin Dahuri and Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh, Megawati
will dedicate the National Movement for the Development of Marine
Resources and Fisheries on Saturday.

Tomini Bay, which belongs to the three provinces, will fall
under the management of the Tomini Bay Authority Board (BOTT).

From Tomini Bay, the President will proceed to the North
Sulawesi capital, Manado, where she will stay overnight. The
morning after Megawati will witness the opening of the extension
of a bridge named after her, before moving to Sangihe Island.
--Antara

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Bush to hold talks with Megawati
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Bush to hold talks with Megawati

JAKARTA: United States President George W. Bush has confirmed
his arrival in Bali on Oct. 22 for a meeting with President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The Indonesian visit will form part of President Bush's Asia-
Pacific trip, which will also take him to Japan, the Philippines,
Singapore and Australia, starting from Oct. 17.

Quoting the White House, the Indonesian foreign ministry said
in a media release on Friday President Bush would fly to Bali
after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in
Bangkok on Oct. 20 through Oct. 21.

"The Indonesian government welcomes the planned visit of
President George W. Bush, which will enhance ties between the two
countries," the release said.

Various bilateral, regional and global issues will be
discussed during the Bali meeting between the two leaders.

Bush will be making the quick visit to Indonesia en route to
Australia.

Megawati was among the first world leaders to visit the U.S.
following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. -- JP

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Wiranto rues lengthy convention
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Wiranto rues lengthy convention

JAKARTA: Former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto
criticized on Friday a plan to extend Golkar Party's national
convention to select its presidential candidate, saying it would
tarnish its image.

Wiranto, one of Golkar's presidential hopefuls, said the plan
would not materialize.

"I trust the (convention) committee and morality of Golkar
Party. They will not take a decision that may tarnish their own
image," he told a media briefing here on Friday.

Golkar leaders are considering an extension of the convention
during the party's leadership meeting scheduled for Oct. 17
through 19.

Based on the original schedule, Golkar would have announced
its sole candidate in February next year. However, there have
been demands from regional chapters to delay the announcement
until the results of the legislative election are disclosed.

Critics have said the maneuver was simply aimed at allowing
party chairman Akbar Tandjung to buy time, due to his legal
difficulties. Akbar awaits the Supreme Court's verdict on his
appeal following his conviction in a graft case by lower courts.
-- JP

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Prosecutors named for Abepura case
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Prosecutors named for Abepura case

JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office appointed on Friday six
prosecutors in the gross human rights violations in the Papua
town of Abepura in 2000.

Secretary to the office's human rights working committee K.
Lere said the prosecutors would start working only after tbeir
induction in November.

The team comprised Mailan Syarief, Burhanuddin Achmad, Abdul
Rauf Kinu and Tonangi Madjid, all from the South Sulawesi
Prosecutor's Office, Makassar military prosecutor's office head
Aris Sudjarwadi and Manado military prosecutor's office head
Bambang Ariwibowo.

Deputy commander of the National Police Mobile Brigade
(Brimob) Brig. Gen. Johny Wainal Usman and Papua Police spokesman
Adj. Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing have been named as suspects in the
case.

The Abepura incident occurred on Dec. 7, 2000, when a group of
50 armed proindependence people attacked the Abepura police
station, killing at least two policemen.

Brimob troops immediately raided the Namin student dormitory
in the town of Kotaraja and arrested 24 students there suspected
of supporting separatism in the province. Two of the students
were killed and dozens of others injured during questioning. --
JP