TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Megawati stands in for Jokowi at World Culture Forum

Desy Nurhayati (The Jakarta Post)
Nusa Dua, Bali
Thu, October 13, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

Megawati stands in for Jokowi at World Culture Forum Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri opens the World Culture Forum (WCF) in Nusa Dua, Bali, standing in for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, on Oct. 13, witnessed by Director UNESCO Office Jakarta Shahbaz Khan (left), Director General of Culture at Ministry of Education and Culture Hilmar Farid (second left), Interior and Village Development Minister of Tuvalu Namoliki Sualiki (third left), Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Ali Jannati Iran (fourth left) and Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy (JP/Zul)

F

ormer president Megawati Soekarnoputri has opened the World Culture Forum (WCF) in Nusa Dua, Bali, standing in for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who had been slated to open the four-day event himself.

The opening ceremony on Thursday, scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m., was delayed. At around 9:30 a.m., the master of ceremony announced Megawati, as "the fifth president of Indonesia", without mentioning the cancellation of Jokowi's presence.

After a series of opening events that included a traditional dance performance, remarks by Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and recorded speeches by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and UNESCO director general Irina Bokova, Megawati officially opened the event by striking the gong prior to delivering her keynote speech.

"I am representing President Joko Widodo, who could not be present at this event. He extends his warm greetings to all of you," Megawati said.

In her address, she highlighted the contribution of culture to creating peace, preserving nature and breaking down boundaries in global relations, which were marred with conflicts.

"Culture must be our common road, so that the earth is preserved […] for the life of us all."

She stressed the state ideology of Pancasila with its five guiding principles as the path for the culture of this nation, which is characterized by remarkable diversity with more than 1,000 ethnic groups. (dmr)

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.