Indonesia Celebrates Independence Day in Unfinished Capital
- Indonesia celebrates 79 years of independence in the unfinished future capital of Nusantara.
- President and hundreds of officials gather in the incomplete capital to mark Independence Day.
- Despite the capital being unfinished, the national celebration goes on.
On Saturday, Indonesia commemorated its 79th Independence Day with a ceremony held in Nusantara, the planned future capital intended to alleviate the pressures faced by Jakarta. The event took place amidst ongoing construction, with President Joko Widodo and his Cabinet ministers attending the ceremony at the newly built Presidential Palace, designed in the shape of the Garuda, a mythical eagle-winged figure. Originally intended to mark the inauguration of Nusantara, the celebration was scaled back due to construction delays, with only 1,300 guests invited instead of the initially planned 8,000. The ceremony in Nusantara coincided with a separate celebration at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, attended by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. Over 5,000 police and military personnel were deployed for the event, which featured 76 honorary flag-bearers marching behind the national flag. Jakarta, home to approximately 10 million residents, faces significant challenges, including severe flooding, traffic congestion costing the economy an estimated $4.5 billion annually, and pollution issues that have led to it being labeled the world's fastest-sinking city. Nusantara is envisioned as a futuristic green city, featuring abundant parks and powered by renewable energy. The government has allocated 20% of the $33 billion budget for the new capital, with the remainder expected to come from private sector investments. As President Widodo prepares to leave office in October after a decade in power, the future of the capital project remains uncertain, with seven groundbreaking ceremonies already held for various infrastructure developments.