Susilo-Kalla barred from palace ceremony

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla expressed regret on Sunday that he and his presidential running mate, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, had been barred from attending the Independence Day celebration at the State Palace.

He recalled that both he and Susilo had been invited by the State Secretariat to attend the grand ceremony, but suddenly the invitations for both were withdrawn on Friday.

Kalla said in Mataram that he and Susilo, the rivals of President Megawati and her running mate, Hasyim Muzadi, in the upcoming runoff election, should have been allowed to attend the ceremony given that they had served the country as ministers. -- Antara