President Yudhoyono Visits Bali

Tabanan, Bali, (Antara Bali) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and a number of ministers, paid a working visit to the tourist resort province of Bali on Sunday.

"The head of state during the visit met with families of national heroes in Bali. They met them in Taman Punjaan Bangsa (TPB) Park of the Margarana National Heroes Cemetery, Marge village, Tabanan District," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said here on Sunday.

He earlier inspected preparations made by various elements in Margarana Heroes` Cemetery Park to welcome the head of state in the location, some 27 km northwest of Denpasar, provincial capital of Bali.

During his visit to Bali, Yudhoyono will also be awarded with the Main Honorable Guest "Semton Tamu Utama" Tile of Pekraman village in Tampaksiring, Gianyar District.

The minister stressed the President arrived in Tabanan not for a campaign but as a head of state visiting the Margarana Heroes` Cemetery in the village of Margarana, Tabanan.

With the visit, Yudhoyono is the only Indonesian president who has so far visited the heroes cemetery where national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai and other heroes were buried.

"This is an extraordinary visit that could be recorded in history because the President made it on the sidelines of his business. The President allocated time to meet the families of heroes and veterans and the veterans who are still alive," Jero Wacik siad.

In the meantime, the Indonesian Defense Forces and Regional Police cooperated in providing security during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s visit.

"It should not happen that the President`s visit is abused by certain parties to create an undesired situation," Chief of the Udayana Military Command IX Maj. Gen. Wisnu Bawa Tenaya said after leading a roll-call here on Saturday.

He noted that security measures must be tightened because legislative campaigns were underway for the upcoming April 9 legislative elections.

The regional military commander stressed that personnel involved in securing the area must understand the standard security procedures for the president, based on their respective tasks.

Currently, a total of 12 national political parties are conducting a 21-day campaign through April 5 for the upcoming legislative elections on April 9, 2014.

The national parties include the National Democratic Party (Nasdem), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Golkar Party (Golkar), and the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra).

The line-up also includes the Democratic Party (Demokrat), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), the People`s Conscience Party (Hanura), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI). (WDY)