President Soeharto ready to resume state duties
President Soeharto ready to resume state duties
JAKARTA (JP): After resting for about 10 days, Soeharto will
resume his state duties at Merdeka Palace today by leading a
Military Academy graduation.
But Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono refused to say whether
this meant that Soeharto had ended his resting days.
"I do not want to say whether he has officially or
unofficially resumed work, because he regularly summons me as a
state secretary (during his absence from his office) and I always
issue announcements after receiving instructions from him," said
Moerdiono after meeting with Soeharto at his residence on Jl.
Cendana, Central Jakarta.
When asked whether the presidential doctor team had given its
clearance on his health condition, Moerdiono said: "The President
is always healthy. From the beginning I said he needed to restore
his physical fitness".
In his capacity as the Armed Forces (ABRI) supreme commander,
the retired five-star general will induce 946 graduates of the
military academy, including 341 from the Army, 185 from the Navy
Academy, 282 from the Police Academy and 138 from the Air Force
Academy.
Bambang Trihatmodjo, one of Soeharto's sons, conveyed his
gratitude to members of the public who had prayed for the
President's health.
"We are really grateful to those who prayed for our father,"
he told reporters after a meeting of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) ad hoc committee.
He said that his father's health had progressively improved.
"Insya Allah (God willing), Bapak will induce (today) new
graduates of the National Military Academy at Merdeka Palace," he
said.
"The presidential team of doctors only told us that Bapak
needed a rest."
When asked why the state secretariat said that Soeharto would
make a trip abroad and another to Surakarta, but later retracted
the information, Bambang said it was a result of miscommunication
between the secretariat and the doctors.
It was announced last week that Soeharto would visit his
wife's grave in Surakarta, Central Java, before heading to Kuala
Lumpur for the 30th commemorative Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) summit. Moerdiono announced two days later that
the trips were canceled on doctors' advice. (prb/imn)