Balikpapan (ANTARA) - The government announced that Nusantara City will be open to the public keen on visiting the new capital to observe Indonesia's 79th Independence Day ceremony on August 17, 2024, at Nusantara's Ceremonial Plaza.

"Residents can come and see the Independence Day Ceremony from the National Axis in Nusantara City," East Kalimantan acting governor Akmal Malik stated here on Tuesday.

The National Axis, flanked by Nusantara's main roads on its side, would overlook the new capital's Ceremonial Plaza and the Garuda Palace complex above it.

At the preparation meeting for the ceremony, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed the organizer to open the National Axis to accommodate residents who visit the new capital to observe the Independence Day ceremony, he noted.

The acting governor also revealed that large screens will be installed at the National Axis on Independence Day for the residents' convenience.

Moreover, the president instructed the provincial authority to mobilize residents to participate and invite local figures to attend the Independence Day ceremony in Nusantara.

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"Some 800 East Kalimantan residents will participate in the ceremony," Malik remarked.

He explained that the attendees would be divided into two groups—each comprising 400 people—to partake in the flag-raising ceremony on August 17 morning and the flag-lowering ceremony in the afternoon.

"The East Kalimantan provincial authority will provide food, toilets, and transport facilities, while access to Nusantara will be from the toll road and the Balang Island Bridge," the acting governor remarked.

In a break from tradition, this year's Independence Day ceremony will take place both in Nusantara and the current national capital, Jakarta.

President Joko Widodo, accompanied by President-elect Prabowo Subianto, will preside over the ceremony in Nusantara. Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin will chair the ceremony in Jakarta with Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

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Translator: Nyaman B/Solih J, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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