Before son’s wedding, Yudhoyono remains at desk

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to meet with aides and governors on Wednesday — the night before his youngest son’s nuptials, according to a spokesman, who said the ceremony would not disrupt the President’s work.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha told reporters that Yudhoyono was planning to hold limited meetings on Wednesday night with ministers at Cipanas Palace in Cianjur, West Java, where Edhie “Ibas” Baskoro will tie the knot with Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa, the daughter of the Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, on Thursday.

The media have been abuzz with stories about the ceremony, which some described as a “political wedding” as it involved the scions of the nation’s elite.

Hatta is the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), a key Yudhoyono ally. The President has denied that the wedding was political, saying that Ibas chose to marry Aliya because of “love”.

Yudhoyono also said that no state funds would be used for the wedding reception, which critics said would likely be excessive.

“The President will summon the Vice President, three coordinating ministers and several governors from Jakarta, South Sumatra and Bali,” Julian said.

The President wanted to meet for a brief post-mortem with ministers in charge of the recently completed Southeast Asian Games and the 19th ASEAN Summit.

The families of the bride and groom left for Cipanas on Wednesday to rehearse for the blessing ceremony (ijab kabul) that will commence at 10 p.m.

On Tuesday, Ibas and Aliya performed the traditional Javanese siraman and midodareni prenuptial rituals. According to Javanese tradition, the ijab kabul should be directly held a day after the siraman, but the families decided to postpone it.

The blessing ceremony is slated to be attended by 900 guests, mostly close relatives of the couple, ministers and ambassadors.

Ibas and Aliya will wear traditional South Sumatran dress during the ceremony.

Amin Rais, the patron of the National Mandate party (PAN) and Vice President Boediono will witness the ceremony.

The police have reportedly deployed 1,500 officers to secure Cipanas Palace in the week before the wedding. The ceremony is expected to last three days and be followed by a reception on Nov. 26 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) for 3,500 guests.