Jakarta Plans to BecomeNational Cultural Center: Governor

Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo has said the capital city is preparing to become the center of Indonesian culture by organizing a national cultural carnival as of 2013. "Jakarta is the country's capital city, therefore, it must become the center of the national culture, with Betawi (the culture of the native people of Jakarta), as the host," Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said during a cultural parade in the National Monument Park, here, Sunday. According to Jokowi, the present cultural festival would be the embryo of the future national cultural carnival. "Next year, we will have a cultural program to be called Jak Carnival. This will be held annually and the first one will be organized coinciding with the Jakarta's anniversary on 22 June 2013," he said. The governor will set up a better management unit to be tasked to to prepare the cultural event. "With a better management on the programs and participants, Jakarta will be proud as the nation's capital," Jokowi said. A workshop on culture will be held in January 2013 for a preparation before the carnival take place. The Jakarta's Administration on Sunday (Oct 28) held a cultural parade to commemorate the Indonesia Youth Pledge Day (Sumpah Pemuda) which was first declared on October 28, 1928. The carnival started at 07.00 a.m. of local time. The participants, wearing traditional clothes and performing traditional dances, marched from the City Town Hall to M.H.Thamrin Street and ended in the National Monument park area.(*)