U.S. embassy reopens visa service

U.S. embassy reopens visa service

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of visa applicants turned out at the
United States Embassy yesterday when it reopened after being
closed for three weeks.

"We did not issue any previous formal statement," Craig J.
Stromme of the United States Information Service told The Jakarta
Post yesterday. "People just sort of know."

Applicants formed such a long queue that it reached the nearby
Gambir railway track prior to the opening of the embassy gate at
9 a.m.

President Bill Clinton signed a bill to reopen all the
operations of the federal government in Washington Saturday. The
action ended a record 21-day government partial shutdown up to
Jan. 26 when the temporary spending legislation expires.

The dispute between the White House and the Republican-led
Congress over the federal budget forced U.S. embassies and
consulates all over the Asia-Pacific region to issue statements
regretting the suspension of services.

"We're busier than normal," said Stromme when asked about the
number of applicants. He said he was not sure whether visa
applicants would swell in number in anticipation of another
possible shutdown by Jan. 26.

The number of applicants declined to about fifty by 1 p.m.,
according to Antara. (14/hbk)