President to lead ceremony

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has agreed to lead the National Police's 55th anniversary ceremony at Bhayangkara Field in South Jakarta on Sunday.

After a meeting at the presidential palace on Saturday, National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said he had visited Abdurrahman to request that he lead the ceremony.

"He said he would, but in the case of an emergency, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri will do it," Bimantoro said, as quoted by Antara.

Bimantoro, who was accompanied by National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail at his meeting with the President, will be the field commander at the ceremony.

Also scheduled to attend the ceremony are First Lady Shinta Nuriyah, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her husband, legislator Taufik Kiemas, and Indonesian Military Commander Widodo A.S.

The ceremony will be highlighted by a parade of troops and a weapon display.

The event on Sunday is expected to be an ice breaker for Abdurrahman and Bimantoro.

There has been tension within the ranks of the National Police since Abdurrahman suspended Bimantoro after the latter defied a presidential order to resign.

Abdurrahman then suspended Bimantoro and appointed Chaeruddin to take over Bimantoro's duties.

The dual leadership has also created rivalry between different graduation classes of the police academy.

Earlier on Saturday, however, both Bimantoro and Chaeruddin denied there was any rivalry.

Bimantoro led a tribute to national heroes at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta. Chaeruddin arrived later and both then cleaned the graves of dead police officers.

"We're getting along just fine. It's the media that gives out the impression that we're rivals," Chaeruddin asserted.

Bimantoro voiced the same view, adding that the most important thing is to maintain unity within the National Police corps.(hdn)