U.S. provides antiterror equipment

DENPASAR, Bali: The United States government handed over 60 metal detectors and 30 under-car mirrors to the Bali Police on Tuesday in an effort to improve the local police's capability in preventing any terror attack.

Bombs rocked the resort island on Oct. 12 last year, killing 202 people, mostly foreigners. Seven U.S. citizens were among those who perished in the blasts.

U.S. Vice Consul Philip Antweiler stated the equipment worth Rp 330 million reflected U.S.-Indonesia cooperation in fighting terrorism.

"We expect that this aid will help Bali to be a safer place," he said.

At the end of the ceremony, Special Agent Tim Dumas of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service provided a brief demonstration on how to use the metal detectors to six officers from the police's elite Mobile Brigade.

Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said his officers had the necessary skills to operate the detectors, but they were often careless in conducting a search.

Pastika revealed that the U.S. would like to provide the Bali Police with five explosive detectors, which are capable of sensing and identifying certain particles commonly released by explosive materials. -- JP

;JP;KHS; ANPAa..r.. Scene-KPU-tender KPU denies corrupt practices JP/4/KPU

KPU denies corrupt practices

JAKARTA: A member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in charge of logistics denied on Tuesday that there were anomalies in the procurement of vehicles for commission members.

KPU member, Chusnul Mar'iyah, said that any procurement of goods for the KPU had always been conducted in a transparent manner.

"How could we conceal it if we ask the supplier to present their product in an open forum?" Chusnul said.

Chusnul was responding to some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which questioned the purchase of 468 Kijang vans and 407 motorbikes for KPU members in regencies and provinces. The vehicles, which cost Rp 73.9 billion (US$8.6 million), were procured without a tender.

NGOs activists said the procurement was not transparent. But Chusnul challenged the activists to present evidence of any corruption by KPU members. -- JP

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Foreign ministry has new spokesman

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has named a new spokesman who will replace Marty Natalegawa, who has been named director general of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).

A source at the foreign ministry told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that Marty would be replaced by young diplomat Yuri Thamrin, who is currently stationed in New York at the Indonesian mission to the United Nations.

No date has been set for the official announcement of the replacement, but Marty took up his new job last week.

Marty is replacing senior diplomat Abdurrahman Mattaliti, who was appointed as Indonesian ambassador to the European Union.--JP

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Hamzah launches VP center

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz inaugurated on Tuesday the Vice President Center, a non-governmental organization which will provide an alternative forum for communication between the government, people and private sector in dealing with problems facing the nation.

The center's major program, called the People's Solidarity for National Assets (Superiman), will seek to raise by the end of this year Rp 100 trillion (US$11.7 billion), which will be used to help the national economic recovery program. As of Tuesday the center had collected Rp 325 million, including Rp 25 million from Hamzah.

Chaired by Hamzah, the center named President Megawati Soekarnoputri its chief patron, vice presidential secretary Priyono Tjipto Harijanto, Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, businessman Aburizal Bakrie, former finance minister Bambang Sudibyo, Muslim scholars Komaruddin Hidayat and Azyumardi Azra and Maluku leader Des Alwi the advisors. The day-to-day work of the center will be conducted by Hamzah's aide Laode M. Kamaluddin,

The activities of the center are announced to the public through its homepage www.istanawapres.go.id. -- Antara