Jakarta – The husband of Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday accused the security minister of behaving like a child for complaining about being shut out of Cabinet meetings.
"Mr Susilo should come to Madam President and ask why he hasn't been invited, rather than speak in the newspaper. That's the act of a child," Ms Megawati's husband, Mr Taufik Kiemas, was quoted by Detikcom online news service as saying.
Mr Taufik is an official of Ms Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle. "It's inconceivable a four-star general is afraid of the President," he said.
The security minister, Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, hinted on Monday that Ms Megawati had shut him out since he announced his intention to run for the presidency this year.
Mr Bambang did not deny a report in Republika newspaper that he was not involved in recent Cabinet meetings.
Republika's headline was "Yudhoyono begins to be shunted aside". It said he had not been invited to take part in several Cabinet meetings this year and had not been consulted on matters under his jurisdiction, including the military operation against separatist rebels in Aceh province.
Republika said the President was now taking security into her own hands.
The Democratic Party, a small party which Mr Bambang helped found in September 2001, has said it would back his candidacy.
Indonesians will for the first time directly elect their president and vice-president on July 5. A second round will be held on Sept 20 if no one secures more than 50 per cent of the votes in the first round.
Elections to the legislature will be held next month and the Indonesian Election Commission is racing to complete the preparations.
It said yesterday that it had asked the army to help distribute ballot papers to parts of the huge archipelago.
'We have officially sought the help of the Indonesian armed forces to deliver ballot papers to several regions so that they can reach the polling stations on schedule by March 25,' said commission deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suharjo.
The April 5 polls present daunting logistical challenges. Up to 147 million voters are due to flock to more than half a million polling stations to punch four different ballot papers.
They will elect members of the 550-seat national parliament, the provincial and regional legislatures and a new institution called the Regional Representatives' Council.
Newspapers have reported delays in printing the 660 million ballot papers required and problems with contracts to manufacture thousands of aluminium ballot boxes.
But Election Commission chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin said the polls would go ahead as scheduled. The commission 'has completed most of the preparations for the election process', he told a seminar.