Jokowi To Meet Activists Of 1998 Movement In Bali

Denpasar  (Antara Bali) - President-elect Joko Widodo is slated to meet in Denpasar with representatives claiming to speak on behalf of the human rights activists involved in the tumultuous events of 1998, on September 27 and 28.

The meeting, a sort of a reunion, brought together inter-provincial activists and organizations connected to the events that occurred in 1998. It also hopes to reactivate those activists who were involved with the human rights movement and pave the way for them to fill political positions over the next five years.

Jokowi, as the president-elect is popularly known, left Jakarta at 7.40 am this morning (September 27) and is scheduled to meet the activists at 4 pm.

He will be in Bali till Sunday (September 28) and is scheduled to return to Jakarta at 6.25 pm that day.

In its plenary session early on Friday, the House of Representatives (DPR) endorsed the bill on the Regional Head Election Law. The bill stipulates that regional heads would be elected by the Regional Legislative Assemblies and not directly by the people.

The bill was passed after Jokowi`s Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP) lost the vote, despite support from the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) and the People`s Conscience Party (Hanura).

The indirect election system was supported by the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party(PAN), the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Moreover, members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s party walked out when the bill was being passed.  (WRA)