President ill, cancels appointments

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri canceled five official appointments on Wednesday due to illness, presidential secretary Kemal Munawar said.

Before she canceled the scheduled meetings, the President had met with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and executives of Barisan Nasional, a nationalist group, Kemal Idris, Rahmad Witoelar and Kharis Suhud.

She canceled appointments with executives of the Association of Indonesian TV Series Actors, outgoing Mali Ambassador Amadou N'diaye, European Union diplomats, the United Women for Development and leaders of Indonesian Independence Pioneers Association.

Dr. Himawan, one of the President's doctors, said that Megawati caught a cold and that nothing was serious about it.--JP