Susilo cancels Mideast leg of overseas trip

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono decided on Friday to delay a planned trip to several Middle Eastern countries amid pressing problems at home.

"President Susilo has decided to delay the trip to several countries in the Middles East because there are so many things that have to be done domestically," said Presidential spokesman Andi Malaranggeng at a press conference.

But the President would go to New York, where he would speak at the United Nations summit next week, Andi said.

Susilo will head directly back to Jakarta after spending around six days in the U.S.

Susilo initially planned to leave the country from Sept. 10 to Sept. 25 for a series of state visits to Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after delivering a speech on UN reform at the UN headquarters in New York. He will also take a nostalgic trip to the U.S. military training center in Fort Leavenworth (he trained there years ago).

This is not for the first time that Susilo has had to delay planned overseas trips. He previously postponed scheduled visits to Australia and China, and canceled a trip to Thailand.

Some lawmakers have criticized the plans because of the pressing economic problems at home, particularly the weakened rupiah and the severe impact of the rising international oil prices on the state budget and people's lives.

There have also been an increasing number of calls for the President to dismiss the current economics ministers, with some people claiming that they are no longer capable of resolving the economic problems. Additionally, many analysts have stated that it was now crucial to raise fuel prices by reducing the expensive subsidy to help ease the burden on the state budget. Both moves would carry political risks for Susilo.

Elsewhere, Andi also said that Susilo had issued Presidential Instruction No. 11/2005 on overseas trip procedures for ministers, the attorney general, military commanders, police chiefs and governors.

The instruction is issued to help ensure that overseas trips by government officials are done in an efficient manner, with costs considered in all expenditures.