President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received a special gift for Independence Day with the birth of his first grandchild.

Yudhoyono's daughter-in-law Annisa Larasati Pohan gave birth to her baby girl by Caesarean section at the Pondok Indah hospital, South Jakarta, at 6.21 a.m. on Sunday.

"Thank God, my family has been blessed with our first grandchild this morning, a baby girl from our first son, Agus Harimurti, and our daughter-in-law Annisa Pohan," Yudhoyono told a news briefing at the presidential office after presiding over a state ceremony to mark the country's 63rd anniversary of independence.

The President was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and their youngest son Edi Baskoro.

"We are certainly very grateful. We expect this gift will boost my spirits in continuing my duty to lead this country until the end of my term next year," he said.

Annisa is the daughter of former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Aulia Pohan.

Yudhoyono and his wife accompanied their daughter-in-law during the delivery before going to the palace for the state ceremony.

Doctors handling the delivery were quick to confirm the Caesarean section was necessary for medical reasons, rejecting speculation it was manipulated so the child would be born on Independence Day.

"It would have posed medical dangers to the mother if the birth was delayed," said Yanwar Hadiyanto, head of the hospital's service department.

He said a medical checkup several months ago indicated the baby would be born by the middle of this month.

"We decided to go ahead with a Caesarean section purely because of medical considerations so as to reduce any risk to the mother," Yanwar added. -- JP

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