TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and President-elect Prabowo Subianto will preside over the 79th Indonesian Independence Day ceremony in the new capital city, Nusantara or IKN. Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka will lead the annual August 17 ceremony in Jakarta.

The government planned to hold a hybrid celebration in Nusantara and the capital Jakarta, according to Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy.

“Pak President will lead the ceremony in IKN. Pak Vice President will be here (Jakarta). Later, the Vice President-elect will accompany the Vice President, and the President-elect will accompany the President,” Muhadjir said after meeting with the President and other ministers at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, June 10.

However, Muhadjir stopped short of elaborating on the officials who will attend the commemoration in IKN and Jakarta, claiming that there is no such list.

“Maybe it will be split in two, for the ceremonies in Kalibata’s memorial park (in Jakarta) and the IKN memorial,” he added.

He also claimed that the preparations had reached 90 percent completion. The operation of the airport will be announced at the end of July, so guests won’t have to land in Balikpapan to reach IKN.

After inspecting the IKN progress in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Wednesday, June 5, Jokowi claimed that preparations for the Independence Day ceremony at IKN were almost complete. The government is eager to resume its development amid the change of leadership. The resignation of Bambang Susantono as head of the IKN Authority has further fueled public debate over the planning and decision to move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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