Sjahrir prevented from seminar

Sjahrir prevented from seminar

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Noted economist Sjahrir, who is also chairman of the New Indonesia Alliance (PIB) Party, was blocked from addressing a seminar in Medan, North Sumatra over the weekend following opposition from local political leaders.

Sjahrir said on Saturday that he was scheduled to address a seminar at the Gunung Sitoli Institute of Education on Friday when its rector was forced by local political leaders not to allow him to address the seminar.

He did not mention any of the political leaders that might have opposed his presence there.

According to Sjahrir, he received notice of the cancellation just minutes before the seminar was expected to open.

Sjahrir said the student senate had invited him and had contacted him twice to confirm his readiness to be the keynote speaker in the seminar.

"Possibly, leaders of political parties do not want me to speak at the seminar. In fact, my presence has nothing to do with my political activities," he said.

North Sumatra is the stronghold of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Golkar, headed by House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung. -- Antara