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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) as an opposition party sees the planned visit of United States President George W Bush to Indonesia on November 20 as merely a friendly visit of benefit only to the United States, a party spokesman said.

"There is nothing substantive or important to be gained from the visit. It is the United States that will benefit from it," PDIP Secretary General Pramono Anung said here on Tuesday.

Pramono said initially the PDIP saw no problem in the planned Bush visit but when the US asked for extra tight security and exaggerated facilities which led some parts of the Bogor Botanical Gardens to sustain damage, the party was now thinking Bush`s visit was an extravagance.

Pramono made the remarks after attending a dialog on the Law on the 2009 Election System and creation of quality democracy here on Tuesday.

He noted that just to welcome Bush, the government had built a helipad using expensive steel plates which were disturbing the ecology of the plant life being conserved in the Bogor Botanical Gardens.

"Indonesia should have shown its identity as a sovereign country and refused to be treated like that. It is as if Indonesia is a colony and we cannot accept this," he said.

On the occasion, Gajah Mada University political observer I Ketut Putra Erawan also questioned the purpose of the United States president`s planned visit.

"What is the benefit of the visit? Is there any benefit Indonesia will gain from it", Ketut asked , adding that public opposition to the visit was understandable.

Bush will visit Indonesia after attending an APEC meeting in Vietnam on November 20. The visit would be a return visit to the one made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the United States in May, 2005.

Talks during the Bush visit are expected to focus on six topics, namely Indonesia`s desire to attract more US investment, cooperation in biofuel development, education, the fight against bird flu, natural disaster handling and information technology. (*)

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