Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesia’s government has added 3,400 more seats for the 81st Independence Day ceremony at the Presidential Palace after public interest far exceeded the original allocation.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the decision followed an overwhelming response to the online ticket registration, locally known as the “war ticket” system.
“We decided to add another seating block with a capacity of around 3,400 people,” Prasetyo said after a parliamentary meeting on Monday.
The government initially prepared 5,500 seats for members of the public. However, more than 336,000 people registered during the four-day application period from August 5 to 8.
“The registration period attracted more than 336,000 applicants for around 5,500 available slots,” Prasetyo said.
To accommodate more attendees, the government will split the event into two sessions: the morning flag-raising ceremony and the afternoon flag-lowering ceremony.
Prasetyo said the additional seating aims to give more members of the public the opportunity to attend the annual state ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
Indonesia will celebrate the 81st anniversary of its independence on August 17.
