Palace gears up for new president
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Presidential palace officials began preparing on Tuesday for a new boss, a day after Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was officially declared the winner of the Sept. 20 election.
Susilo is scheduled to be sworn in on Oct. 20, 2004 as the new president, replacing Megawati Soekarnoputri. He reportedly plans to reside at the palace.
Although there was no noticeable increase of activity in the palace, a series of meetings has been held to prepare for Susilo's first day in his new home.
The State Secretary's office is preparing a brief report on the decrees and regulations issued during Megawati's three-year tenure.
"There have been no discussions yet with the president-elect's team, but we must prepare a report for the next government," an official told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
He said the office had compiled a to-do list of decrees needed to implement laws deliberated during past three years since Megawati took power in July 2001.
A member of Susilo's campaign team, Suratto Siswodiharjo, said as far as he knew Susilo had not sent aides to the presidential palace to help handle the transition.
"Such a team has not been set up because our camp has yet to find a good time to have talks with Megawati's team," Suratto said.
Since her landslide defeat, Megawati has rarely come to the palace and has instead spent much time at her private residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta.
The State Secretary's office was also busy preparing living quarters and other facilities for Susilo.
The arrangements included protocol and designated entry points for journalists, visitors and important guests.
Officials were also considering tightening security around the palace compound.
"Because there are several alternatives, we will consult further with Susilo's team," the protocol official said.
The official residence of the president is the Merdeka Palace, but only founding president Sukarno and former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid stayed at the compound. The three other ex-presidents, Soeharto, Habibie and Megawati, resided outside.
Soeharto stayed at a house on Jl. Cendana in the plush Menteng area in Central Jakarta, B.J. Habibie at Patra Kuningan in South Jakarta, while Megawati has been living on Jl. Teuku Umar also in Central Jakarta.
Presidential guards have been assigned to secure Susilo's private residence at Puri Cikeas in Bogor, West Java, since the end of last month when it became apparent he would win the election.
While waiting for a possible challenge to the election result by Megawati's camp, Susilo is making a two-day trip to his hometown of Pacitan in Central Java and also plans to visit his mother in Blitar, East Java. He is to return to Jakarta on Thursday night.