Soeharto celebrates 76th birthday

Soeharto celebrates 76th birthday

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will celebrate today his 76th
birthday with his six children, their spouses, 12 grandchildren,
one great-grandchild, close relatives and friends at his
residence on Jl. Cendana.

The private celebration will mark the second birthday in the
absence of his wife, First Lady Tien Soeharto, who died on April
28, 1996. The health of the President is excellent and daily
tasks are carried out smoothly, officials said.

He works and receives guests from Monday to Friday either at
the Bina Graha office, the Merdeka or State Palace, at his
residence, or by visiting regions to officiate various government
projects. One of his favorite agenda, however, is to hold dialogs
with farmers and villagers where he sometimes makes surprising
statements.

"After saying his subuh (predawn) prayer, he usually reads
newspapers and checks incoming documents or letters sent to him
for approval," officials said.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said last month that
Soeharto reads very carefully but is also fast in processing
letters. "I send him letters or documents in the afternoon and
receive the answers by the next day," said Moerdiono.

Moerdiono, who has worked for Soeharto since early in his
presidency, said the President was very attentive to people who
work for him.

"He often warns or shows his disagreement or dissatisfaction
in a very Javanese way," said Moerdiono. So gently and subtly
does Soeharto delivers his rebuke that the people in question
sometimes misinterpret the reprimand as praise, Moerdiono said.

Sudomo, the chairman of Supreme Advisory Council, said
recently that Soeharto had an extraordinary ability to remember
statistics.

Soeharto also receives hundreds of letters every year from
children across the country, including those who criticize him.
One junior high school student, Maina Firita, criticized
Soeharto's strong Javanese dialect and doubted that the President
used good Indonesian in his speeches.

Many people think Soeharto is always serious. Former adjutant
Maj. Gen. K. Harseno, however, testified that Soeharto likes
jokes.

Harseno said Vice President Try Sutrisno used to tell many
jokes to Soeharto when Try was still Soeharto's adjutant in the
1970s.

"He likes to listen to Javanese gamelan and enjoys Javanese
food like tempeh and gudeg," a state official said. Gudeg is made
of jackfruit and coconut milk.

Stamina

To maintain his stamina, Soeharto plays golf and occasionally
tennis, or goes fishing in the Jakarta Bay waters. He also likes
to spend his leisure time visiting his farm in Tapos, Bogor, West
Java.

"I know that many people hope that I fall sick," Soeharto said
last month in a dialog with school children at the State Palace
to commemorate National Education Day.

His half-brother, Probosutedjo, denied rumors last month that
Soeharto would remarry after the wedding of his youngest son,
Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, to Ardhia Pramesti Regita Cahyani.

"It is impossible for Soeharto to marry again, as it will
affect his relationship with his six children," said Probosutedjo
after checking the rumors personally with Soeharto.

In August 1994, Soeharto underwent a number of medical tests
at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, where it was discovered that
he had kidney stones. The doctors later gave him a clean bill of
health.

In July last year, he underwent a three-day medical checkup at
a cardiac hospital in the German spa town of Bad Oeynhausen.

The head of the doctors team, Dr. Reiner Korfer, said that the
head of state's organs -- including his heart, lungs and liver
-- are functioning excellently. He was only slightly overweight.

"The doctors were surprised that someone 75 years of age could
be in such good health, so prime," Probosutedjo said after the
completion of the checkup last year.

Soeharto is widely expected to lead the nation's entry into
the 21st century. The general session of the People's
Consultative Assembly next March will very likely reelect him for
his seventh consecutive term.

Since the death of Mrs. Tien, the question of succession has
resurfaced repeatedly. Soeharto has kept his intention of whether
to remain at the helm private.

When the question was posed to him on two occasions last year,
the President said the first time that his intention is to see
through the end of his term in 1998. Whether he would continue is
up to the People's Consultative Assembly, he said.

On the second occasion, he said people should take into
consideration his advancing age before nominating him for the job
again. (06)