THOUSANDS FLOCK TO PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR "SILATURAHMI"

ID :
22344
Thu, 10/02/2008 - 14:20

THOUSANDS FLOCK TO PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR "SILATURAHMI"

Bogor, Oct 2 (ANTARA) - Thousands of people flocked to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's private residence in Cikeas, Bogor, on Thursday for "Silaturahmi" (strengthening kin and community ties) with the head of state and his family members.

On the second day of Islamic Idul Fitri holiday, the president held an open house function to the public at his private residence in Puri Cikeas, Bogor, on Thursday, after having a similar occasion at the State Palace on Wednesday.

The three-hour open house function at Cikeas would start at 11:00 a.m. but the people had started to flock to the street near the house since 8 in the morning to stand in line while patiently waiting for the occasion to begin.

On Wednesday the first day of Idul Fitri, thousands of people also thronged into the State Palace in Jakarta to greet President Yudhoyono, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and their two sons.

They started coming to the palace at 12.00 while the open house for them was only started at 3.30 pm. They sat on chairs specially provided for them under tents set up at the parking lot of the State Secretariat nearby while waiting for the start of the open house. The palace had provided 3,200 passes for the people.

The committee had set up two big tents which were air conditioned for accommodating the people who came for the occasion.

Some blind people and physically disabled were seen among the attendants.

A resident of Jakarta who hailed from Central Maluku, Sunardi, took the opportunity of the meeting with the President to hand over documents on illegal logging in the region that had lasted long. "I bring complete documents," he said.

The committee had earlier called on the people who wished to hand over letters or documents to submit them to officials in charge of protocol.

However, when the reception began some ignored the call and handed the letters to the president in person. The president received the letters and then passed them on to protocol officials.




X