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

;JP;KHS; ANPAa..r.. Parties rapped over lineup JP/4/scene14

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 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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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

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