Sjahrir invited to East Timor

JAKARTA: The chairman of the Alliance for a New Indonesia (PIB), Sjahrir, has been invited to Dili to attend East Timor's declaration of independence and the inauguration of Xanana Gusmao as the new country's first president.

A statement released by the PIB on Sunday said Sjahrir, who is a renowned economic analyst, would be accompanied by the chairman of PIB's Yogyakarta chapter, Jadin C. Djamaludin, during his stay in Dili on May 19 and May 20.

Sjahrir, who is planning to form a new political party to contest the 2004 general election, will fly to Dili from Australia, where he will be holding talks with government officials, academics and businesspeople. -- Antara