Police to Deploy 24.815 Personnel to Secure Presidential Inauguration

Jakarta (Antara)- Indonesia's Police will deploy at least 24,815 personnel to secure the inauguration ceremony of Indonesia's seventh president, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on October 20, 2014. "Until the post-inauguration event, until (the procession is) heading the palace, we will deploy 24,815 personnel consisting of the National Police's operational task force," National Police Chief General Sutarman said after a coordinating meeting which was attended by Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zukifli Hasan and Chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI) General Moeldoko at Parliament Building, here, Thursday. The police personnel will also guard foreign dignitaries who will attend the inauguration ceremony. "(After the inauguration), Mr Jokowi will head to HI Circle before proceeding to the Palace. From HI Circle, he will go to the Palace by a carriage," Gen. Sutarman stated. Zulkifli Hasan earlier said Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, President of Timor Leste Taur Matan Ruak, President of Iran Hassan Rouhani, Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Haiti Laurent Lamothe Salvador, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Cha-o-cha, and Governor General of Papua New Guinea Michael Ogio will attend the ceremony. "In addition, there are special envoys from other friendly countries," Zulkifli Hasan said. They include US Secretary of State John Kerry and envoys from Britain, Russia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan and the Netherlands, he said. Former presidents BJ Habibie, Megawati Soekarnoputri, outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will also attend. Former vice presidential candidate and general chairman of the National Mandate Party Hatta Rajasa will also attend the ceremony. (*)