Kendari - Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Tuesday visited several cities on Sulawesi island, as part of his Idul Fitri tour of nine provinces.
In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Kalla met the province‘s regents and mayors, as well as religious and public figures, insisting there were no hidden political motives behind his travels.
"This visit is just a regular Idul Fitri gathering," Kalla told the regents and mayors.
Later in the day he held a closed-door meeting with Golkar executives in Southeast Sulawesi.
Kalla‘s trip to nine provinces comes after he paid courtesy calls in Jakarta on former presidents and vice presidents over the first two days of Idul Fitri.
Observers acknowledge it would be impossible to learn what Kalla, who embarked on the trip in his capacity as Vice President, is discussing during his rounds across the country.
However, there has been much speculation that the Golkar Party chairman is laying the groundwork for a run at the 2009 presidential election, seeing the visits as an attempt to win political support from a wide variety of groups.
Earlier on Tuesday in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Kalla saw off 355 Army soldiers who will travel to Bandung, West Java, for training before leaving to Lebanon on Nov. 8 to join peacekeeping troops.
In Central Sulawesi, Kalla urged all residents to help maintain peace in the conflict-torn region.
"I am sure that people who understand the real meaning of peace are those who were once in the midst of a conflict. Therefore, such people know well what peace is all about," Kalla said as quoted by Antara newswire.
He said only with peace and stability could regional development and economic growth be achieved.
On Wednesday, Kalla is scheduled to visit Gorontalo province before flying to Lampung.
He will head to South Sumatra and Bengkulu on Thursday, before ending his trip on Friday in West Sumatra.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (18 Oktober 2007)
