Activists must unite: Megawati<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) Megawati Sukarnoputri said yesterday that Indonesian
\nprodemocracy advocates lacked solidarity.<\/p>\n
Indonesian prodemocracy groups were busy minding their own
\nbusiness rather than joining forces to achieve a common goal, she
\nsaid in a seminar.<\/p>\n
She said prodemocracy activists were like people living in
\ndifferent chambers of a glasshouse where outsiders could clearly
\nsee everything that they did.<\/p>\n
\"Inside, we can only see each other but do not address each
\nother,\" Megawati told the seminar on Development in the
\nPerspective of Indonesian Pluralism held by Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity student activists.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who lost the PDI leadership in a government-
\nsanctioned congress last year, said she was ready to meet with
\nother prodemocracy activists.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, Didin Damanhuri, a political analyst from the
\nCenter for Information and Development Studies, said that
\nIndonesia needed of a coalition of \"clean\" leaders to promote
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
\"I think it is high time for us to think of such a coalition,\"
\nhe said. The term \"clean coalition\" was first raised by Amien
\nRais of Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
Didin said the country needed open political communication
\nbetween the government and the public, especially between
\ncommunity leaders.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, Revrisond Baswir, said that meetings should
\nbe held involving prominent figures, such as Megawati, Amien,
\nGolkar deputy chairman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and Abdurrahman
\nWahid -- who chairs the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem
\norganization -- to exchange ideas on how to promote democracy.
\n(23\/aan)<\/p>",
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