VIP photos adorn MPR building

VIP photos adorn MPR building

JAKARTA: Documentary pictures began to adorn the People's
Consultative Assembly building on the eve of its Annual Session
on Wednesday, with photos of founding president Sukarno
outnumbering those of his predecessors.

Of 125 photos on display, Sukarno is seen in 19, including the
monumental picture of the declaration of independence on Aug. 17.
1945.

There are 13 photos of incumbent President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who is Sukarno's daughter, eight of fourth
president Abdurrahman Wahid, two of third president B.J. Habibie
and six of Soeharto, who ruled the country for 32 years.

The pictures, selected by the National Information Institute
(LIN), are on display in the MPR lobby.

Soeharto, as chief of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command
(Kostrad), is also portrayed in one of 13 photos related to the
abortive coup attempt blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party
(PKI) in 1965.

Apart from the VIP pictures, LIN is exhibiting nine
documentary photos taken during the first election in 1955. The
text that accompanies the pictures refers to the top three
parties, but not PKI, which finished fourth. --JP.