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)