SBY: JK'S ALLEGATON TOWARD BOEDIONO UNETHICAL

Balikpapan, June 28 (ANTARA) - Presidential hopeful Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono regretted an allegation from his presidential race rival Jusuf Kalla that Boediono, Yudhoyono's running mate, had been obstructing the realization of the 10,000 megawatts (MW) power plant mega project.

"What I deeply regret is when some certain ministers said that he had the wrong view or rather ignorant, then exposed to the general public. This must not happen, this is against ethics in the government," SBY said his oration at the Dome Convention Center in Balikpapan, Sunday.

"I ask for an apology to the 2,000 invitees to the campaign, for correcting the case, because it was not true that Boediono who was then minister coordinating the economy obstructed the realization of the 10,000 MW mega project.

SBY explained that then he decided to build the mega power project a number of foreign investors had been invited to ream up with national independent producers.

Later, the foreign partners asked for a government guarantee, but they did not realize that Boediono was at that time chief economic minister and Sri Mulyani finance minister.

"Later the minister asked for my clarification, whether it is correct for the government to guarantee the private projects, because what if it fails, and the private companies are unable to finish the job. I then decided to give full guarantee," SBY said.

In the upcoming direct presidential election, Yudhoyono will compete with Jusuf Kalla who is also the incumbent vice president and chairman of the Golkar Party, and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set schedules for closed-door campaigning from June 2 to 10, and mass rallies from June 11 to July 4, 2009. The presidential elections will be held on July 8, 2009.*** 1 ***

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