Sardono granted professorship

Sardono granted professorship

JAKARTA: Noted choreographer Sardono Waluyo Kusumo will be
installed as a professor of dance on Wednesday, making him the
first artist with no formal education to receive the academic
honor.

During his installation at the Graha Bhakti Budaya Hall in the
Ismail Marzuki Arts Center in Central Jakarta on Wednesday
evening, Sardono, 58, will share his thoughts on how regional
autonomy and political decentralization has led to exclusiveness
in the regional arts.

Sardono, who cofounded the Jakarta Arts School, the embryo of
the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), has dedicated most of his life
to dance, gaining both national and international recognition.

The government granted the title to him through Minister of
National Education Decree No. 9601/2003 dated May 31, 2003,
although he is not a university graduate.

Sardono is concerned about the environment which has inspired
him to create a number of dance performances, one of which will
be screened during the ceremony on Wednesday. He will also
perform his latest piece titled Nobody's Body.

The event will also be marked by the launch of his book
titled: Hanuman, Tarzan and Homo Erectus. -- JP

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Parties rapped over lineup
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Parties criticized for weak nominees

JAKARTA: The maneuver of some political parties to include
celebrity personalities on their legislative candidate lists
clearly shows that those parties are desperate to lure voters, an
analyst says.

Faisal Basri, chief of the Committee for the Preparation of
the Indonesian Movement (KPPI), said Tuesday that there was
little relevance between the actual needs of the nation and the
legislative candidates abilities.

While the nation was in need of addressing unemployment and
poverty issues, political parties were busy nominating actors and
actresses seats as legislative candidates.

"It wouldn't be a problem if the political parties were
preparing to do television soap operas," Faisal said at a
discussion Tuesday.

Among celebrity personalities listed as legislative candidates
are Sophia Latjuba and Marissa Haque by the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle; Nurul Arifin by Golkar; Emillia Contessa and
Mieke Widjaya by the United Development Party; Rieke Dyah
Pitaloka by the National Awakening Party; and Dede Yusuf and
Paquita Wijaya by the National Mandate Party. -- JP

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TNI to help secure elections
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TNI vows to help with elections

JAKARTA: Despite only having 50 percent of its troops
available, the Indonesian Military (TNI) would still be ready to
help the police secure the 2004 general elections, an officer
says.

"We are ready even though some 50 percent of our forces have
been deployed in areas of conflict in the country," Lt. Gen.
Djamari Chaniago, TNI's chief for general affairs, told reporters
on Tuesday.

He said that soldiers deployed in conflict areas in the
country may also help the police secure the elections.

"They may secure the polls where they are currently serving,"
Djamari said.

TNI has more than 300,000 army, navy and air force personnel.

Nearly 145 million voters are expected to participate in the
legislative election on April 5 and the two-round direct
presidential elections on July 5 and Sept. 20 respectively.

A total of 24 political parties are eligible to contest in the
elections. --JP

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New high court heads to be installed
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7 new high court presidents named

JAKARTA: Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan is slated to
inaugurate on Wednesday seven high court leaders for postings
across the country.

The Jakarta High Court will have a new president -- former
Makassar High Court leader Harifin H. Tumpa, who will replace
Ridwan Nasution.

Kardjan, former Jayapura High Court president, will succeed
Harifin in Makassar, while Palu High Court deputy chief I Gusti
Ngurah Suparka will succeed Kardjan.

Meanwhile, Palu High Court president M. Taufik will take the
top post at the Palembang High Court and former Kupang High Court
head Bagus Sugiri will succeed Taufik.

Former Pontianak High Court deputy president Suwardi will
become the Banda Aceh High Court president.

Palangkaraya high court president Sanim Djawardi will move to
head the Bandung High Court in March, and current Palangkaraya
High Court deputy Zaharuddin Utama will be promoted to succeed
Sanim. -- JP

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Hajj plane makes emergency landing
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Hajj plane makes emergency landing

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: An airplane chartered by Garuda
Indonesia airlines to carry hajj pilgrims from South Sulawesi
province, made an emergency landing at the Hasanuddin airport
here on Tuesday due to "technical problems", an airport official
said.

Chief of PT Angkasa Pura's -- the state company that runs the
airport -- public relations division at the Hasanuddin Airport,
Syamsuddin Hoteng, said the aircraft made a smooth landing at 12
noon local time, 30 minutes after taking off from the same
airport.

"The emergency landing went okay and there were no passenger
casualties," Syamsuddin said.

He said the British Airways Boeing 767-300 chartered by Garuda
was carrying 325 pilgrims from Wajo district in South Sulawesi
when it was forced to return to the Hasanuddin Airport. -- Antara